KUDAKWASHE Tagwirei’s abrupt ejection from the 126th Ordinary Session of the Zanu PF Central Committee meeting lays bare the formidable challenges he faces in launching his political career. This brutal snub exposes the treacherous path he treads in Zimbabwe’s high-stakes game of thrones.
The Zanu PF Harare province’s bold move to co-opt him into the Central Committee clashes with established party rules, and Tagwirei’s cash-fuelled tactics teeter dangerously close to vote-buying.
The Zanu PF Central Committee, the party’s highest decision-making body between congresses, holds immense sway over party policy and leadership. Membership is a prerequisite for appointment to the politburo, the party’s elite inner circle, making it a critical stepping stone for Tagwirei’s ambitions.
With President Emmerson Mnangagwa in his final term and the succession race heating up, a Central Committee seat is vital for any figure aiming to wield significant influence.
Yet Tagwirei’s bid to join this powerful body through Harare province’s co-option is riddled with procedural and political pitfalls, rendering his prospects slim.
First, his eligibility is shaky due to stringent membership requirements. Aspiring Central Committee members must have served Zanu PF for at least 15 years, including five as a provincial executive. Tagwirei, primarily known as a businessman, has little public record of such party tenure, particularly at the provincial level. Without meeting these
criteria, his co-option risks being deemed unprocedural, undermining his candidacy from the start.
Second, if Tagwirei falls short of the 15-year rule, he would need a Politburo waiver, as seen in the 2022 Central Committee elections. For example, finance minister Mthuli Ncube and former ministers Sekai Nzenza and Obadiah Moyo secured waivers to contest despite similar shortfalls. However, there’s no sign that Tagwirei or his
Harare province allies have sought such approval.
The Politburo’s apparent hostility, underscored by Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s intervention, suggests scant willingness to grant him this favour.
Finally, Tagwirei’s reported tactics to garner support further imperil his bid. Allegations of promising full-time salaries to the Zanu PF Harare chairperson and vehicle gifts to
Central Committee members reek of vote-buying, a practice Zanu PF explicitly condemns.
In 2022, the then political commissar Mike Bimha warned candidates against such behaviour. Tagwirei’s flashy financial inducements violate these guidelines, risking disciplinary action.
In Zimbabwe’s cutthroat political arena, his wealth, once a strength, could prove his Achilles’ heel.
Tagwirei’s ambition to climb Zanu PF’s ranks is clear, but procedural hurdles, a lack of proven party tenure, and dubious tactics obstruct his path. Chiwenga’s swift
rejection signals fierce resistance from powerful factions.
Unless Tagwirei secures a politburo waiver and navigates the party’s intricate dynamics without further missteps, his Central Committee bid, and rumoured presidential aspirations will remain a distant dream.
Innocent Batsani-Ncube is lecturer (Assistant Professor) in African Politics at Queen Mary, University of London
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