President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s upcoming title deeds distribution programme in Mashonaland Central, which should have been a straightforward empowerment initiative, has triggered a fresh storm inside Zanu PF. At the centre of the controversy is businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei, whose prominence on promotional material for the event has fuelled speculation that he may be edging out Vice President Constantino Chiwenga in the ruling party’s volatile succession battles.
The event, scheduled for Mazowe West on Monday, was designed to showcase Mnangagwa’s ongoing campaign to issue urban title deeds and launch agricultural support projects. According to official announcements, the President will preside over the handover of 1,000 title deeds and unveil smallholder irrigation kits aimed at boosting food security and climate resilience. The ceremony, by all accounts, should have been a moment to demonstrate Mnangagwa’s commitment to land tenure security and empowerment of ordinary Zimbabweans.
Instead, attention has shifted to the design of the event poster, which circulated widely on social media in recent days. The flier, emblazoned with Zanu PF branding, carried images of both Mnangagwa and Tagwirei. What sparked outrage was the composition: Tagwirei’s photograph was larger, positioned more prominently than that of the President, and accompanied by a bold promise that he would “give out two Ford Ranger trucks.”
For party insiders and ordinary observers alike, the poster was more than just a publicity misstep. In a political organisation long plagued by factional struggles, the symbolism was unmistakable. Many interpreted it as an intentional signal of Tagwirei’s rising political profile and, more provocatively, as evidence that Mnangagwa could be tilting the succession balance away from Chiwenga and toward his wealthy ally.
The backlash was immediate. Zanu PF Patriots, an influential online account closely aligned to the party’s communications machinery, blasted the poster as “highly inappropriate and misleading.” The account declared:
“This is a Presidential event, and it is unacceptable to place Cde Tagwirei’s image on the flier — worse still, positioning it above and larger than the President’s. Such misrepresentation undermines the dignity of the occasion. We are confident that Cde Tagwirei does not endorse this distortion.”
Mnangagwa’s Title Deeds Event Sparks Succession Storm as Tagwirei Overshadows Chiwenga
The statement captured the mood of disquiet within Zanu PF ranks, where symbols, images and gestures often carry meanings far beyond their surface. As one political analyst explained, “In Zanu PF politics, nothing is accidental. To elevate a businessman’s image above that of the President is a political statement, whether intended or not. It feeds into ongoing suspicions that Mnangagwa is grooming Tagwirei as his trusted ally, potentially at the expense of Vice President Chiwenga.”
The uproar has reignited discussion of the simmering tensions between Mnangagwa and his deputy. Chiwenga, the former army commander who played a pivotal role in the 2017 military coup that brought Mnangagwa to power, has long been viewed as the natural heir. But relations between the two men have cooled in recent years, with Mnangagwa accused of systematically sidelining Chiwenga and consolidating power around loyalists drawn from the business community, technocrats and even his own family.
Within this context, Tagwirei’s expanding role has become a lightning rod. Widely regarded as one of Zimbabwe’s most influential businessmen, the fuel tycoon has been a key financier of Zanu PF campaigns and government programmes. Over time, his activities have extended beyond the corporate world into overt political sponsorship, raising questions about whether he is evolving into a political actor in his own right. For Chiwenga’s camp, which remains anchored in the military structures that helped elevate him, Tagwirei’s growing clout is unsettling.
The Mazowe poster has therefore been read as a public confirmation of what many insiders have whispered privately: that the centre of gravity within Zanu PF may be shifting, with Mnangagwa leaning increasingly on his billionaire ally rather than his battle-hardened deputy.
Yet it is important to note that the Mazowe event carries significant substance beyond the succession intrigue. The President is expected to hand over 1,000 title deeds — the largest single issuance since the programme began — and to launch irrigation kits meant to cushion smallholder farmers against climate shocks. According to government officials, 70 percent of the beneficiaries are war veterans, a group that remains crucial in the ruling party’s internal power arithmetic.
By giving war veterans legally binding ownership of their homes and tools for agricultural self-sufficiency, Mnangagwa is securing loyalty from one of the most influential blocs in Zanu PF’s base. Political analysts say this is a deliberate move designed to shore up his authority in anticipation of future challenges, whether from Chiwenga or any other rival.
Still, the optics of the Tagwirei poster threaten to overshadow what should have been a moment of political consolidation for Mnangagwa. Instead of headlines focusing on empowerment and irrigation, the public conversation is now dominated by questions of succession and the possibility of a businessman playing kingmaker in the ruling party.
As the Mazowe event approaches, all eyes will be on how Mnangagwa manages the fallout — and whether the Vice President chooses to signal discontent or maintain a studied silence. For now, what should have been a straightforward state function has morphed into yet another episode in Zanu PF’s long-running succession drama, one in which the image of a billionaire businessman looms larger than the President himself.
Source- ZimEye
