Exiled former Zanu-PF political commissar and 2023 presidential aspirant Saviour Kasukuwere has fired a fresh broadside at President Emmerson Mnangagwa, declaring that the 83-year-old ruler’s “time is up” and warning he could be pushed out of office if he refuses to step down.
In a fiery statement posted on X, Kasukuwere accused Mnangagwa of clinging onto power while presiding over what he described as a “car-laden corrupt empire” that has reduced ordinary Zimbabweans to destitution.
“ED’s time is up and he must go,” thundered Kasukuwere.
“When the rest of the nation is trapped in poverty while he and his cronies live lavishly as if they are in Monaco, it cannot be tolerated. He has said he wants to resign. If he doesn’t, we will help him. The game is over.”
Kasukuwere was a cabinet minister during the 2017 military coup that ousted the late Robert Mugabe, but fled the country alongside other Mugabe loyalists who opposed Mnangagwa’s rise. Many feared arrest or assassination as the army consolidated Mnangagwa’s takeover.
Other exiled Mugabe allies include former Information Minister Jonathan Moyo, now in Zambia, and former Labour Minister Patrick Zhuwao, based in South Africa. Ex-Tourism Minister Walter Mzembi was arrested on his return to Zimbabwe this year and faces charges over the alleged misuse of US$2 million worth of television equipment procured for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which was controversially donated to Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa’s church.
Kasukuwere’s latest attack lands at a time when Mnangagwa faces open rebellion within his own party. Just last week, the president appeared to shut down attempts by his loyalists to extend his rule until 2030, insisting that the 2028 elections will be held as required by the constitution.
Addressing the Zanu-PF Central Committee in Harare, Mnangagwa said:
“It is important that we introspect as a party… we must win the 2028 harmonised elections.”
Analysts say this was a direct snub to the so-called “2030 agenda” advanced by his inner circle.
But the push for Mnangagwa’s prolonged stay has already fractured the ruling party. Big names such as Owen Ncube, Daniel Garwe, and Munyaradzi Machacha have been vocal in demanding that he remains beyond 2028—a move seen as a direct slap in the face to Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who is widely tipped to take over when Mnangagwa steps down.
Meanwhile, Mnangagwa’s controversial business allies—Wicknell Chivayo, contractor Paul Tungwarara, and fuel tycoon Kudakwashe Tagwirei—are pouring money and influence behind the 2030 campaign. Their open support has only deepened suspicions of state capture.
Reports from last week’s politburo meeting reveal that Chiwenga went on the offensive, presenting a thick dossier exposing how Tagwirei, Chivayo, and Tungwarara had “captured” Zanu-PF, further fueling the bitter succession battle.
With Kasukuwere now openly threatening to force Mnangagwa out, the storm around State House is growing—and the fight for Zimbabwe’s political future is getting nastier by the day.
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