Secret Recording Exposes Alleged Plot to Undermine VP Chiwenga in Zanu PF Succession Battle
HARARE – Zimbabwe’s ruling party has been rocked by a major political scandal after a secret recording surfaced allegedly detailing an elaborate scheme to undermine Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s political standing, funded by business interests seeking to influence the Zanu PF succession race. The controversy erupted when controversial politician and former MP Temba Mliswa was recorded discussing a coordinated campaign to decampaign Chiwenga, reportedly bankrolled by wealthy businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei.
The explosive recording, which has gone viral on social media platforms, captures Mliswa in a WhatsApp call with businessman Agrippa “Bopela” Masiyakurima, revealing that he had received substantial funds from Tagwirei to campaign for the businessman’s political ambitions. Both Mliswa and Masiyakurima have confirmed the authenticity of the recording, throwing Zimbabwe’s political landscape into turmoil and exposing the fierce behind-the-scenes battle to succeed President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
The revelation comes just weeks after Chiwenga dramatically confronted Mnangagwa during a politburo meeting about a group of businessmen allegedly siphoning money from both Zanu PF and state coffers to position themselves in the succession race. The Vice President had presented a detailed dossier outlining how these business figures were using financial resources to gain political influence, setting the stage for the current explosive confrontation.
The Recorded Conversation and Political Recruitment
In the revealing audio recording, Mliswa can be heard attempting to recruit Masiyakurima into the political operation targeting Chiwenga. The former MP, who now serves as a headman in Shurugwi, detailed the financial backing he had received and the scope of the campaign being waged across the country. The conversation provides unprecedented insight into the mechanics of political manipulation and financial influence-peddling within Zimbabwe’s ruling circles.
According to the recording, Mliswa explicitly described moving across Zimbabwe to mobilize traditional leaders, including headmen and chiefs, as part of the political campaign. This strategy of targeting rural power structures represents a significant escalation in the succession battle, indicating an attempt to build support from the ground up using both financial incentives and political persuasion. The involvement of traditional leaders in partisan political activities would represent a serious breach of their expected neutrality.
“I went to his house and he told me he wanted me to join him and his team in campaigning for Kuda Tagwirei, whom he believes is the next president. He showed me stashes of cash and he told me he was moving across the country to mobilise maheadmen and chiefs…”
Masiyakurima, who recorded the conversation, later explained his motivation for exposing the scheme. In statements that have been widely circulated alongside the recording, he declared: “You can’t peddle falsehoods about General Chiwenga just because you’re twerking for cash and cars from zvigananda (thugs).” His use of the term “zvigananda” – meaning thugs or rogue elements – reflects the bitter tone of the internal Zanu PF struggle and the moral outrage driving the whistleblowing effort.
The recording provides concrete evidence of the financial dimensions of Zimbabwe’s succession politics, with Masiyakurima noting that he decided to “play along” with Mliswa’s recruitment attempt specifically to document the alleged corruption. As reported by NewsDay Zimbabwe, this revelation confirms long-standing suspicions about the role of business interests in shaping political outcomes within the ruling party.
Broader Political Context and Implications
The exposed plot emerges against the backdrop of intensifying factional warfare within Zanu PF as various contenders position themselves for the eventual succession to President Mnangagwa. Chiwenga, a former military commander who played a pivotal role in the 2017 coup that removed the late Robert Mugabe from power, has increasingly positioned himself as an anti-corruption figure within the party, directly challenging business interests that have traditionally enjoyed political protection.
Last month’s dramatic confrontation in the politburo meeting, where Chiwenga presented evidence of financial malfeasance by influential businessmen, marked a significant escalation in the internal power struggle. The Vice President’s dossier allegedly detailed how certain business figures were “siphoning money from Zanu PF and the State” to fund their political ambitions and gain influence over the party’s direction. This bold move apparently triggered retaliatory efforts, including the campaign exposed in the Mliswa recording.
The involvement of Kudakwashe Tagwirei, a businessman previously sanctioned by the United States and United Kingdom for alleged corruption, adds another layer of complexity to the scandal. Tagwirei has consistently denied wrongdoing, but his name has frequently appeared in connection with controversial government deals and allegations of state capture. The recording suggests he has now moved from behind-the-scenes influence peddling to active participation in succession politics.
“My message to everyone who received cars from these zvigananda… povo (masses), masoja (soldiers), police, CIO [spy agents], tambirai motokari, tambirai cash but musatengese revolution (accept the cars, accept the money, but don’t sell out).”
Masiyakurima’s remarkable statement about accepting cars and cash but not “selling out the revolution” highlights the moral ambiguity that characterizes Zimbabwe’s political landscape. This pragmatic approach reflects the widespread understanding that financial incentives routinely influence political loyalties, while simultaneously expressing concern about the ultimate consequences for the nation’s governance and stability.
The scandal has significant implications for Zimbabwe’s political future and the integrity of its upcoming electoral processes. If business interests can directly fund political campaigns and manipulate traditional leaders, the democratic process becomes vulnerable to financial manipulation rather than reflecting genuine popular will. This development is being closely monitored by political analysts and Zimbabwe News outlets concerned about the country’s governance trajectory.
For Vice President Chiwenga, the exposed plot represents both a threat and an opportunity. While the recording confirms that concerted efforts are underway to undermine his political standing, the public revelation of these tactics could potentially strengthen his position by demonstrating the lengths to which his opponents will go. His anti-corruption stance may resonate with ordinary Zimbabweans weary of economic struggles and perceived elite capture of national resources.
As the political crisis unfolds, attention now turns to how President Mnangagwa will respond to the escalating factional warfare within his party. The public exposure of such blatant manipulation and financial influence-peddling creates pressure for some form of disciplinary action, yet the complex web of alliances and dependencies within Zanu PF makes decisive intervention challenging. The coming weeks will likely see further revelations and realignments as the succession battle intensifies, with the recording serving as a catalyst for broader political confrontation.
The Mliswa recording has lifted the veil on the often-opaque world of Zimbabwean succession politics, revealing the instrumental role of money and the vulnerability of political processes to manipulation by wealthy interests. As the nation digests these revelations, the fundamental question remains whether this exposure will lead to meaningful reform or simply result in a recalibration of tactics by those determined to control Zimbabwe’s political future.
