Mutsvangwa risks Chiwenga’s ire as he labels VP cruel, illiterate and unelectable

Zanu PF spokesman Christopher Mutsvangwa has launched an unrestrained attack on Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, labelling him cruel, illiterate and an electoral liability.

Mutsvangwa harbours ambitions of being Zanu PF leader and sees the retired army general as a stumbling block to the realisation of that dream.

He used an interview with Dug Up to hammer Chiwenga, while also casting doubt on his war credentials. The interview was recorded on February 17, 2025, but was not released until Friday, ZimLive understands.

Chiwenga has requested a meeting with Mnangagwa on Monday to discuss Mutsvangwa’s outburst, ZimLive understands.

Mutsvangwa’s indignation appears to be a push by Chiwenga for Mnangagwa to “anoint” him as his successor – which would close the door on other aspirants.

Mutsvangwa said: “That guy wanted to be anointed to become president, to become a successor to the president. So you want to remove the president but before you do so you want him to appoint, to annoint you. How do you do that? You’re squaring a circle!

“(Robert) Mugabe used to say I will nominate, I will give you my successor but the president (Mnangagwa) is saying no, we must go for elections. That’s normal for a democratic party.”

Zanu PF will hold its elective congress in 2027, a year before Mnangagwa’s second and final term is due to end.

Mutsvangwa is dismissive of Chiwenga’s prospects of winning the mandate from Zanu PF supporters and going on to clinch the presidency in general elections due in 2028.

Chiwenga’s decision to get his then wife Mary Mubaiwa arrested in 2019 for his attempted murder and then blocking her bid to seek medical attention in South Africa had alienated him from female voters, Mutsvangwa opined.

“Can you imagine half of the electorate are women in this country, more than half, and you’ve decapitated the legs and limbs of your former wife through cruelty and you’re refusing her to see her children including one she came with into your marriage,” Mutsvangwa said.

Mnangagwa had wanted to pardon the former model but Chiwenga said “you can’t do that,” Mutsvangwa claims.

“He wreaks of cruelty against all women in the country. He can’t win, he doesn’t want elections and the president has uppended him by saying we’re going to congress, can you go and sell yourself to the electorate, the party electorate, and meanwhile you’ve baggage like that,” he added.

Mutsvangwa also said Chiwenga’s lack of a formal education made him unfit to be president, mocking him for his failure to read the letter “l” properly in English words, often reading it as “r” – an influence from the Shona language which has no “l”.

Said Mutsvangwa: “Remember if you want to know if a Shona person never went to school put an L in front of them. Because R comes from the mother and L comes from the teacher. That’s the basic litmus test of an illiterate Shona person. So he never managed to graduate from the mother’s alphabet.

“That you went to the war is not an excuse, some of us went to war but returned to school and went to university. Going to war is no substitute for illiteracy and ignorance.

“You were commanding an army by contrivency, while you’re an illiterate. Commanding an army of boys and girls who joined the war coming from Thekwani, Tsambe, Mukaro and Cyrene. These are the people who fought and went back to school and you wind up as their commander. How do you command such an erudite and educated army while you’re illiterate? You think you can endear yourself to them?”

In a claim since debunked, Mutsvangwa also charged that Chiwenga had played no role in the Democratic Republic of Congo war when Zimbabwe deployed troops to prop up the government of Laurent Kabila against rebels. Soldiers who took part in the war said they recall Chiwenga visiting them on the front line.

Claimed Mutsvangwa: “When Zimbabwe went to the DRC he was blocked, he didn’t even go there to command. He doesn’t know anything about that war.”

Zanu PF recently expelled scores of individuals accused of disloyalty to the party and its leadership, among them Gifford Gomwe, the former secretary for local government in Mashonaland West.

On Sunday, Gomwe wrote to the Mashonaland West provincial chairperson Mary Mliswa demanding action against Mutsvangwa.

“Honourable Vice President CDGN Chiwenga is a presidential appointee and the attacks by Cde Mutsvagwa might seem as if the president has made a mistake in appointing him which is also a direct attack on President Mnangagwa,” Gomwe wrote.

“We have lower level cadres who were expelled from the party due to purpoted social media abuse. I strongly advocate for a corrective action against Cde Mutsvangwa. It would be noticeable that Cde Mutsvangwa has implied impunity from Mashonaland West if no action is taken against his person.”

Chiwenga is described by Zanu PF insiders as “absolutely fuming” when Mutsvangwa’s comments were put to him. He is set to meet Mnangagwa on Monday and demand action against his garrulous rival for Zanu PF leadership.

About Post Author