The deepening succession rift within Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF has taken a dark turn after Mashonaland West provincial chairperson Shepherd Marime — who earlier this year threatened to “poison” Vice President Constantino Chiwenga — was seriously injured in a second road accident in just two months.
Marime, a key supporter of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, was involved in a head-on collision along the Karoi–Chinhoyi highway on Sunday night. In a video recorded from his hospital bed, he revealed that both his arms were broken in the crash. The incident has sparked renewed speculation about the growing tension and alleged factional battles inside the ruling party as it pushes for Mnangagwa’s controversial term extension.
Videos circulating online show the wreckage of Marime’s vehicle — a grey car emblazoned with Mnangagwa’s portrait — completely destroyed after the collision. Eyewitnesses confirmed that the car was part of the fleet donated to ZANU-PF officials by businessman Wicknell Chivayo. This latest crash marks the second time in as many months that vehicles associated with Marime have been involved in accidents, raising questions and fueling conspiracy theories within political circles.
The accident comes at a politically charged moment for the ruling party. Just last week, ZANU-PF formally adopted a resolution to amend Zimbabwe’s Constitution and extend President Mnangagwa’s term of office by two more years — effectively keeping him in power until 2030. The proposal has drawn widespread criticism from the opposition, civil society groups, and legal experts who have condemned it as unconstitutional and a direct assault on democratic principles.
Ziyambi Ziyambi, the Minister of Justice and ZANU-PF’s secretary for legal affairs, announced the resolution, stating, “The party and government are therefore directed to initiate the requisite legislative amendments to give full effect to this resolution, to ensure continuity, stability, and the sustained transformation of the nation.”
The move underscores ZANU-PF’s growing emphasis on political “stability,” a term critics interpret as a euphemism for consolidating Mnangagwa’s power. Mnangagwa, who turns 83 this year, is currently serving his second and constitutionally final term after being re-elected in 2023 amid disputed results.
ZANU-PF Chair Who Threatened to “Poison” VP Chiwenga Badly Injured in Second Crash Amid Term Extension Tensions
Behind the scenes, however, the succession question has reignited fierce internal rivalries. Vice President Chiwenga — widely believed to be Mnangagwa’s most serious internal challenger — has been increasingly sidelined, with some of his allies allegedly purged from key government and party positions. Reports from within ZANU-PF suggest growing paranoia and mistrust between the two camps, each maneuvering to secure dominance before 2028.
It was against this tense backdrop that Marime made his infamous remarks earlier this year. During a ZANU-PF meeting in January, he was filmed making a prayer that appeared to contain veiled threats toward Chiwenga.
“I pray for the leader of the country. I know that in 2030 he will still be there; he will be ruling. Those who have ambitions, we pray for them that they have their chance after 2030,” Marime declared.
He went further to invoke bizarre spiritual language, calling on “crocodile milk” to protect Mnangagwa and ward off what he described as “evil spirits” — a metaphor that many interpreted as a direct attack on Chiwenga’s faction.
“Those who send evil spirits, spirits of hindrance, and dirty spirits, we sprinkle them with crocodile milk,” Marime proclaimed. “We know that milking a crocodile is not easy, but we pray that on this chance, we shall sprinkle them with crocodile milk until the evil spirits have been cast out.”
The clip quickly went viral, sparking ridicule and concern across social media. Many Zimbabweans mocked the bizarre invocation of “crocodile milk,” while others viewed it as symbolic of the deepening factionalism within ZANU-PF.
Marime’s subsequent accidents have now intensified speculation that the political environment inside the ruling party has become both dangerous and unpredictable. Though police have not linked the crash to any foul play, the timing — coming amid heightened tensions over the term extension debate — has added to public intrigue.
Meanwhile, voices of dissent continue to grow louder. Legal experts argue that any move to extend Mnangagwa’s term would directly violate Section 328 of the Constitution, which restricts amendments that extend a sitting president’s tenure. Opposition figures have accused the ruling party of “constitutional vandalism,” while civic activists warn that such maneuvers could plunge the country into deeper political turmoil.
For now, Marime remains hospitalized, nursing broken arms and bruised confidence, as social media buzzes with speculation over what his latest misfortune might signify. To his critics, it’s poetic justice; to his supporters, it’s a test of faith. But to Zimbabweans watching the unfolding political drama, it is yet another chapter in the long and increasingly perilous story of ZANU-PF’s internal power struggle.
Source- ZimEye
