By Staff Reporter
HARARE โ Former Zanu PF provincial chairperson and Norton legislator, Themba Mliswa, has sensationally claimed that Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga attempted to use corruption allegations against businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei as a political weapon, viewing him as a threat to his own ambitions.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with United Kingdom-based journalist Violet Gonda on her programme Hot Seat, Mliswa alleged that Chiwengaโs efforts to sideline Tagwirei โ a powerful businessman and close ally of President Emmerson Mnangagwa โ backfired spectacularly.
โChiwenga wanted to weaponise corruption allegations against Tagwirei because he saw him as a political rival,โ Mliswa said. โBut in the process, he was crushed by a moving train when he tried to stop the tycoon from gaining influence within Zanu PFโs decision-making structures.โ
Tagwirei, often described as Mnangagwaโs key financier and one of the most influential figures in Zimbabweโs business and political circles, has long been a controversial figure, accused by critics of benefiting from opaque government contracts and fuelling state capture. Despite persistent allegations, he has maintained strong ties with the ruling elite and continues to wield significant economic power through his Sakunda Holdings empire.
Mliswa, who himself has been both an insider and outspoken critic within Zanu PF, said the internal rifts within the ruling party reflect deep-seated struggles for influence and succession ahead of the 2028 elections.
โThe factional battles are real,โ he added. โWhat we are seeing is a fight for dominance between those around the President and those positioning themselves for the post-Mnangagwa era. Tagwireiโs growing clout within Zanu PF has unsettled many.โ
The full interview will air this evening at 6pm on Hot Seat, where Mliswa is expected to provide more explosive insights into Zanu PFโs internal dynamics and the uneasy relationship between politics, business, and power in Zimbabwe.
