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Zanu PF in High-Level Panic Meeting<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
By A Correspondent-Zanu PF has held a panic high-level meeting as deepening internal divisions over controversial plans to extend President\u00a0Emmerson Mnangagwa\u2019s rule beyond 2028 continue to roil the ruling party.<\/p>\n
The high-stakes meeting comes\u00a0against the backdrop of\u00a0intensifying factional tensions linked to the so-called \u201cVision 2030\u201d agenda, which critics within and outside the party say is being used to justify constitutional amendments that could prolong Mnangagwa\u2019s stay in power. Zimbabwe\u2019s current Constitution limits presidents to two five-year terms, meaning Mnangagwa is due to step down in 2028.<\/p>\n
However, proposals associated with\u00a0Zimbabwe Vision 2030\u00a0and the mooted Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 have sparked fierce resistance within Zanu PF, particularly from sections of war veterans and former military commanders.<\/p>\n
Some of these figures\u2014many of whom played a decisive role in the\u00a02017 Zimbabwe coup\u00a0that ushered Mnangagwa into power\u2014have reportedly warned against any attempt to tamper with presidential term limits,\u00a0with threats of\u00a0intervention if constitutionalism\u00a0is undermined.<\/p>\n
Senior party officials began arriving early at the Zanu PF headquarters, including national chairperson\u00a0Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri. Vice President\u00a0Constantino Chiwenga\u2014widely seen as a central figure in the succession matrix\u2014also attended and proceeded to a closed briefing session ahead of the main deliberations.<\/p>\n
President Mnangagwa later arrived to chair the meeting, receiving a rousing welcome from members of the Women\u2019s League, who sang revolutionary songs and chanted slogans in support of Vision 2030.<\/p>\n
First Lady\u00a0Auxillia Mnangagwa, who also serves as Secretary for Environment and Tourism in the party, was among the senior figures present.<\/p>\n
Despite the gravity of the issues under discussion, the atmosphere outside the main auditorium was initially relaxed. Members mingled under partly cloudy Harare skies, exchanging greetings and engaging in light-hearted conversations.<\/p>\n
Outspoken Zanu PF politician\u00a0Joseph Chinotimba\u00a0briefly injected humour into the gathering, joking with journalists and drawing laughter from party members.<\/p>\n
Delegates, dressed in vibrant party regalia in green, red, yellow\u00a0and\u00a0black, added a festive tone to proceedings\u2014masking what insiders describe as one of the most consequential internal debates facing the party since the ouster of\u00a0Robert Mugabe.<\/p>\n
The Central Committee, composed of representatives from the party\u2019s ten provinces, is Zanu PF\u2019s highest decision-making body between congress sessions. It is responsible for implementing policies and resolutions adopted at congress and steering the party\u2019s strategic direction.<\/p>\n
Thursday\u2019s meeting agenda includes deliberations on governance issues, party discipline, and compliance matters\u2014including the distribution of registration number plates for party vehicles in line with directives from the Zimbabwe Republic Police.<\/p>\n
Proceedings formally began with the singing of the national anthem\u00a0before moving into\u00a0a closed session chaired by Mnangagwa.<\/p>\n
While official details remain tightly guarded, the meeting\u00a0is expected\u00a0to tackle the escalating succession battle and the contentious push to reshape Zimbabwe\u2019s constitutional order\u2014issues that have exposed rare and potentially destabilising fractures within Zanu PF\u2019s upper ranks.<\/p>\n
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