President Emmerson Mnangagwa publicly rebuked ZANU PF Politburo members who skipped a high-profile fundraising dinner in Harare, pointing to ruling-party tensions over succession plans, leadership terms, and proposed constitutional changes ahead of the national conference in Chinhoyi.
Fundraising Dinner Surpasses Target Despite Presidium Absence
ZANU PF raised nearly US$10 million at its inaugural Presidential Fundraising Dinner Ball held at The Hippodrome in Braeside. Organised by fundraising committee chairperson Philip Chiyangwa, the event surpassed its US$6 million target, with proceeds earmarked for the party’s annual gathering in Chinhoyi.
While President Emmerson Mnangagwa, First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa, Vice-Kembo Mohadi, Secretary-General Jacob Mudenda, and national chairperson Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri attended the gathering, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga was conspicuously absent. His absence made him the sole member of the party presidium to skip the high-profile dinner held on Friday, according to regional reporting. Chiwenga assumed the vice-presidency following the 2017 military intervention that ousted former leader Robert Mugabe, meaning any modifications to the party’s succession guidelines directly influence his political path.
📹 President Mnangagwa, speaking at the start of a Zanu PF politburo meeting, takes direct aim at his deputy Constantino Chiwenga for not attending a “Presidential Fundraising Ball” last Saturday.“Some of you came, some of you did not come, but you’re members of the politburo.” pic.twitter.com/VTvFIbCOQT
President Rebukes Absentees at Politburo Meeting
Addressing the party headquarters during the 398th Ordinary Politburo session on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, Mnangagwa thanked the committees responsible for organising the event before drawing attention to those who stayed away.
“I sincerely thank the Conference Organising Committee and the Resource Mobilisation Sub-Committee for organising a hugely successful Presidential Fundraising Dinner Ball held here in Harare. Congratulations for a job well done,”
“Some of you came and some of you did not come, but you are members of the Politburo”
President Emmerson Mnangagwa
Although the President did not name his deputy directly in that specific context, the remarks followed reports stating that Mnangagwa publicly rebuked Vice President Constantino Chiwenga for skipping the event. Chiwenga also failed to attend several other functions featuring high-ranking ZANU PF officials, such as the burial of Wicknell Chivayo, a businessman and party supporter who died recently in a helicopter crash.
Constitutional Amendments Standoff at Party Offices
The friction surrounding the fundraising dinner followed the abrupt cancellation of an extraordinary Politburo session scheduled to discuss proposed amendments to the ruling party constitution.
Reports published by ZimLive and highlighted by Nehandaradio indicate that the special session was called off subsequent to intense pushback against a series of constitutional changes being pushed by Ziyambi Ziyambi, the legal secretary of ZANU PF. Chiwenga and First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa were already present at the party offices when the gathering was called off.
- The Nyerere Way Proposal: Among the most contentious recommendations is one that would decouple the role of ZANU PF president from the party’s presidential election candidate, potentially permitting Mnangagwa to stay on as party leader while regional provinces independently pick a nominee for the 2030 presidential race.
- Succession Speculation: These ongoing discussions have further focused scrutiny on internal power dynamics within ZANU PF and the ultimate successor to Mnangagwa once he steps down.
Intra-party tensions have intensified as various ZANU PF provincial branches campaign to amend the party charter to reflect the terms set out in Constitutional Amendment Act Number 3.
National Conference Preparations Underway in Chinhoyi
The disputes come to a head as ZANU PF convenes its National People’s Conference in Chinhoyi, scheduled for October 12-17.
Mnangagwa praised administrative performance ahead of the meetings, urging officials to embrace specialist expertise. The Politburo and Party as a whole must never shy away from harnessing specialist skills from across society towards sharpening our approaches, policy proposals and the effectiveness of our colossal revolutionary movement,
he stated.