BUSINESS mogul Kudakwashe Tagwirei was reportedly chucked out of a Zanu PF central committee meeting at the party’s headquarters in Harare yesterday.
Reports indicated that he was not supposed to attend the meeting until the party approved the recommendation for his co-option.
According to sources, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga was not happy with Tagwirei's attendance.
The sources said Chiwenga, who joined the meeting before Mnangagwa arrived, told party officials to ask Tagwirei to leave the meeting.
“Tagwirei tried to resist the officials, but he later left the meeting before Mnangagwa addressed the gathering. The problem is that he (Tagwirei) was recommended for co-option into the central committee by Harare province pending approval from the central committee,” the sources said.
“Tagwirei was not supposed to attend the central committee meeting before the recommendation for co-option is passed. In fact, he should have waited for the approval and probably attend the next central committee meeting.”
Meanwhile, President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday remonstrated supporters and factions causing divisions in the party and called on members to adhere to the Zanu PF constitution and guiding principles.
He also lamented the divisive challenges afflicting Zanu PF, calling on party members to focus on accelerating development, unity and peace.
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Addressing the ruling party’s central committee, Mnangagwa urged members to remain focused on the path towards transformative development, industrialisation and modernisation.
The ruling party has been struggling to shrug off divisions sparked by a push by a section of supporters calling for Mnangagwa's term extension beyond the constitutional two terms.
Mnangagwa has repeatedly insisted that he will step down in 2028 and allow Zimbabwe and Zanu PF to choose their next leader.
He told members of the central committee to avoid being “distracted by sideshows and narratives that feed the agenda of optimists, bent on diverting us from the accelerated development, unity and peace that is evident and currently prevailing in our country”.
Said Mnangagwa: “We are supposed to follow the party principles not the interests of individuals or groups of people. We must never, as individuals or groups, guide our party towards personal or clique interests.
“All our activities and directives must always be guided by our party constitution, our rules in the constitution, the regulations and procedures in the constitution. Those are the guiding pillars of how we work and relate.”
The Zanu PF leader also called for integrity and leadership within the party leadership.
“You, who are here, are members of the central committee. You are expected to have the highest level of integrity, the highest level of discipline and honour is expected of us all here,” he said.
“So wherever we are, we must show that integrity of leadership, that discipline of leadership, that respect expected of us towards others from us.”
Mnangagwa applauded the party’s on-going self-verification exercise.
“As I have emphasised before, all departments within the party should ensure that we have a comprehensive and accurate electronic membership database,” he said, at the same time encouraging party structures to continue accommodating more affiliates in the party.
“Affiliates should, however, be viewed as comrades-in-arms. Chitepo School of Ideology, together with the commissariat department, are directed to scale up cadreship development programmes for new members, including those within affiliates, to enhance cadre and leadership development,” he said.
“This must now provide the framework for our internal democratic electoral processes in the lower tiers of the party.
“I want to commend the affiliates for the positive visibility and vibrancy of the party that have resulted from their various initiatives and programmes.”
