I have recently made very general comments about Zanu Pf succession politics as they are occurring in 2025. And their newfound contestations about current president ED Mnangagwa’s term extension beyond 2028.
I have done this on social media and in one or two instances for mainstream media.
This succession question in Zanu Pf has caused a very public and social media motivated factionalism within the ruling party’s war veterans of the liberation struggle.
But also at their elite leadership and likely their own presidium/presidential level. That is, at least allegedly power contestations between Mnangagwa and his first deputy president Retired General C. Chiwenga.
Especially after this week’s Monday 31 March 2025 abortive protests against the current government.
Where in particular they have been playing various war veteran (Zanla/Zipra), ethnic, economic or other interests/factions against the other.
With the same said interests in also full or semi flight into various nodes of the patronage and potential wealth that the ruling party Zanu Pf’s factionalism can offer them. Individually, ethnically and as a combination of both, factionally.
This initially internal Zanu Pf factionalism has after Monday 31 March 2025 taken on a more populist angle. With at least the two major cities in Zimbabwe (Harare and Bulawayo) experiencing what eventually became a default stay away by their residents.
Either in fear or again default support of one war veteran Blessed Geza who took to social media like a duck to water in order to spread his message of declaring that Mnangagwa and his government must go.
While there were no major protests as envisaged, the country took both physical and social media notice. As though we were all in a movie theatre waiting for some main actors to pull a game changer.
That did not happen.
Not least because there is a recognition that whatever fights are happening in Zanu Pf elitist circles, they are not national in their strictest popular impression with the Zimbabwean people.
With an underlying subtle but again popular assumption that when elephants fight it is the grass that suffers. As it did in the 2017 coup-not-a-coup that ushered in the current second republic government.
For many Zimbabweans it is too early to leave the political movie theatre until all of this plays itself out. Almost like waiting to see if either James Bond or an assumed villain wins in the end. When we know at the back of our minds that this is almost safely scripted in Zanu Pf. And not in the country.
Though even in Zanu Pf, there is a scramble to ensure that their chosen main actors emerge victorious. With or without the people of Zimbabwe.
And here is the irony for Zanu Pf supporters and our national liberation war veterans.
Their attempt to nationalise their internal, elitist and materialist political factionalism may have brief popular traction but it is nationally and politically unsustainable.
Mainly because it lacks progressive ideological grounding and is highly personalised and highly cultist with the assistance of national, and again populist, religious leaders. And if they continue on this path, as the Shona adages “vacharumwa nechekuchera.”
But this is were we are as a country. As you read this, pick any Zanu Pf afficionado, supporter or functionary and ask them what their internal fights are all about. They cannot give you a straight answer apart from mentioning the importance of either the incumbent Mnangagwa or his deputy Chiwenga.
Similarly pick any die hard supporter of the somewhat mainstream opposition political party the CCC and ask them where they are placed in all of this. They will likely tell you about their ‘floating’ leadership waiting for God’s call to return. Or give a constitutional argument about why they are against a 2030 term extension. While not preparing not only for by-elections but forgetting that technically the next best chance for them to acquire power is in 2028.
Where you add the dire state of our Zimbabwean national political economy to this you have a national consciousness conundrum. One in which as a citizen even if you pick a side it is not because you want to. But you have to. And in this you may always side on the material as opposed to the democratic value and principle side. An almost survival mode within the ambit of politics one can only observe, not influence. While waiting for the next social media post.
I titled this particular blog, “Was it too Soon, Or Too Late? Zanu Pf, Geza and 31 March 2025” in remembrance of Samora Machel’s question in an interview on why Mozambique decided to support Zimbabwe even after his own country had become independent. With his key answer to the interviewer being No it was not too soon to help Zimbabwe to be free.’
And in a subsequent official state visit to independent Zimbabwe, he asked the then recent war veterans of our liberation struggle such as cde Mujuru, Mnangagwa as to if the struggle was continuing, what was it against after independence?
Many of you reading this know what Machel said in rhetorical response. The struggle continued as he said “against ignorance, superstion, exploitation, misery, hunger, so that someday we will all be equal”
Monday 31 March 2025 failed to meet this basic ideological standard. No matter the attire that war veteran Geza wore or the reposte that came from clearly capitalist Zanu Pf spokesperson Mutsvangwa recently.
I will conclude by stating that what happened on 31 March 2025 was indicative of a false national consciousness that did not understand via our war veterans that there was never too soon a moment as argued by Machel. And that they have arrived late to what should have been an historical national changing moment. Decades ago before they became direct players in Zanu Pf succession politics after the 2000 Fast Track Land Reform Programme and in 2017.
They should have done what they are factionally trying to do now many years ago.
If you ask them, now, what does the struggle continue against? Very few of them will tell you, as they once did, against hunger, poverty, miserior, superstition or political ignorance. When they should be telling us it continues for organic Zimbabwean democracy.
*Takura Zhangazha writes here in his personal capacity (takurazhangazha.com)
Featured image: Blessed Geza
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