ZANU PF will not tolerate businessmen who join the party with "hidden ambitions", the party spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa has said.
This follows reports that businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei, who was recently nominated for the party's Central Committee by Zanu PF's Harare Province, is eyeing the presidency.
The Central Committee is one of ZANU PF's most powerful organs.
Addressing journalists in Harare, Mutsvangwa said while the ruling ZANUPF welcomes any businessmen who want to join the party, it will not winnow out anyone with secret ambitions of taking over power.
"Anybody is free to join ZANU PF whether be a businessman, whether you be a farmer, whatever, so if businessman in their numbers begin to gravitate towards the party we applaud that, we like it because a businessman produces goods and services which make him rich further than an individual person, so there is nothing wrong a businessman coming into the party.
"If certain provinces feel that, that person should become a central committee member and they set their recommendations, the party will consider those resolutions and it will come out with an appropriate decision," said Mutsvangwa.
Tagwirei's nomination to the Central Committee now awaits the approval of the party's Secretary General, Obert Mpofu. If successful, this will mark his rise in the political sphere and possibly to the presidency.
Added Mutsvangwa, "What will be wrong is to say we are getting into the party so that I can become that and that post, that I can become the president because that is not the purpose of joining the party, the purpose of joining the party is to follow the constitution of the party and see to it that when succession or when the succession is done by votes that you comply with the terms of that party.
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"But if you come on a ticket that I want power the people may see through what you want and that becomes a challenge, hopefully all the businessman entrance who will come, they come to say we want to serve the party not to serve themselves, because serving themselves will not take them anywhere in ZANU PF I can vouch for that, just like presidents who went haywire we removed them. ZANU PF will winnow out any people who may have hidden ambitions other than following the structures of the ZANU PF."
With Mnangagwa serving his final term in office, some sections of ZANU PF are pushing for an extension of his tenure, while others, backing his vice, Constantino Chiwenga, are pushing for him to step aside in 2028.
Mnangagwa has stressed that he is a constitutionalist and will leave after his final term, but has not publicly condemned those pushing for his stay.
