VP Chiwenga Faces Possible Expulsion – says Temba Mliswa

Vice President Constantino Chiwenga could be expelled from Zanu PF at this week’s annual conference, outspoken former Norton MP Temba Mliswa has warned, in what could mark the most dramatic escalation yet in the ruling party’s simmering internal power struggle.

In an explosive interview with ZimEye, Mliswa — a former Zanu PF Mashonaland West Provincial Chairperson and one of the most candid voices on Zanu PF’s internal politics — predicted that President Emmerson Mnangagwa will use the Mutare conference to consolidate his grip on power and politically neutralize his deputy.

“If there’s anyone to be chased this week, it could be Chiwenga at congress, because ED can fire anyone at conference,” Mliswa declared. “The only safe person at the conference is ED. No one can move a motion to remove him because it has to be on the agenda, and the conference is not an elective congress — just like in 2017.”

The warning comes as the party reels from the recent leak of a confidential dossier reportedly authored and read by Chiwenga before the Politburo in September, accusing Mnangagwa and his business allies — Kudakwashe Tagwirei, Wicknell Chivayo, Delish Nguwaya, and Scott Sakupwanya — of grand corruption and “capturing” the state. The document also accused the President’s inner circle of funding a “2030 Agenda” to illegally extend his rule beyond the constitutional two-term limit.

According to Mliswa, such open defiance could be the final straw for Mnangagwa, who remains determined to silence internal dissent and project unity ahead of his controversial 2030 campaign.

“The only person untouchable is ED,” Mliswa emphasized. “He holds all the cards. Chiwenga, just like anyone else, can be dismissed even before the conference ends. Those thinking otherwise are living in denial.”

Zanu PF insiders say the leaked dossier has deepened mistrust within the Presidium, with Mnangagwa’s loyalists calling Chiwenga’s move “a declaration of war.” The timing of the conference, coupled with the dossier’s revelations, has sparked speculation that Mnangagwa may use the gathering to isolate or even expel his deputy under the guise of defending party unity.

Mliswa likened the current climate to the tense build-up to November 2017, when Chiwenga led the military intervention that toppled the late Robert Mugabe — but this time, he suggested, the former general stands alone.

“Who controls the chairpersons?” Mliswa asked rhetorically. “The only person safe is Mnangagwa because he can only be removed at congress. The VP, including Chiwenga, can be fired by ED anytime — even as the conference ends.”

The former MP, who has often positioned himself as an independent observer of Zanu PF’s internal wars, also questioned whether Chiwenga still commands influence within the military, hinting that Mnangagwa has effectively neutralized any residual power bases that once backed the Vice President.

As the Zanu PF conference unfolds, the political stakes have never been higher. If Mliswa’s prediction proves accurate, the meeting could mark the end of Chiwenga’s political career — and the complete consolidation of Mnangagwa’s power heading into the 2030 succession battle. *_-ZimEye_*