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VP Chiwenga Under Fresh Attacks<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
By A Correspondent \u2014 Vice President Constantino Chiwenga is under renewed attack from allies of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, as factional tensions within ZANU-PF continue to simmer.<\/p>\n
At the forefront of the criticism is Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe, who has publicly challenged remarks made by Chiwenga during a sermon in Murewa on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a Roman Catholic church service, Chiwenga reflected on the biblical story of King Hezekiah, who, after being told by the Prophet Isaiah that his life was ending, prayed for more time and was granted an additional 15 years. Chiwenga noted that the extra years carried unforeseen consequences\u2014remarks widely interpreted in political circles as a subtle warning against attempts to extend presidential tenure beyond constitutional limits.<\/p>\n
The comments come amid ongoing debate within ZANU-PF over possible constitutional changes linked to succession and the future of Mnangagwa\u2019s leadership beyond 2028.<\/p>\n
Responding at a party event, Garwe dismissed Chiwenga\u2019s interpretation of the scripture, arguing that it had been misapplied.<\/p>\n
\u201cHezekiah did not beg for more years to rule, but he begged for more years of life,\u201d Garwe said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe should pray for our leader to be granted more life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garwe is aligned with a faction backing \u201cResolution Number One,\u201d a controversial proposal seeking to extend Mnangagwa\u2019s rule. Following the circulation of Chiwenga\u2019s sermon, some within this camp have escalated attacks, with calls for the Vice President to step down, accusing him of undermining the President.<\/p>\n
The latest exchange reflects deepening succession struggles within ZANU-PF, which have persisted since the 2017 Zimbabwean coup d\u2019\u00e9tat that ousted long-time leader Robert Mugabe. That transition elevated Mnangagwa to the presidency with strong backing from the military, then led by Chiwenga, who has since been widely viewed as a key contender in the party\u2019s unresolved succession matrix.<\/p>\n
Since then, ZANU-PF has been characterised by factional contestation between groups aligned to Mnangagwa and those seen as sympathetic to Chiwenga. These tensions have increasingly played out in public, often through coded statements, policy debates, and competing interpretations of loyalty to the party leadership.<\/p>\n
Sources within the ruling party say Chiwenga is opposed to Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3, which seeks to extend Mnangagwa\u2019s tenure and could potentially block his own path to the presidency, further intensifying the succession battle.<\/p>\n
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