Zanu PF national spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa has issued a blunt warning to party rivals seeking to undermine President Emmerson Mnangagwa declaring that leadership changes will only be decided through the party's congress.
Addressing journalists at the party headquarters in Harare on Monday, Mutsvangwa said those eyeing Mnangagwa's position should wait for congress.
"There are persistent efforts from detractors who are throwing cobwebs for us to witch hunt ourselves. There are some people who are wishing that he [President Mnangagwa] be removed so that they can take over. Wait for your time. It will come out at the congress, through a democratic process," Mutsvangwa said
He accused party critics of exploiting internal disputes to weaken the liberation movement.
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His comments come amid intensifying jockeying for power within Zanu PF with whispers of succession battles fueling speculation over Mnangagwa's long-term future.
Mutsvangwa positioned the party as defiant against external and internal pressure insisting the country no longer depended on Western approval.
"The world has changed. Now you get capital in São Paulo, Riyadh or Mumbai because of the emergence of new capital markets," he said.
He added that the United States was reconsidering sanctions under the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (Zidera) claiming Washington had recognised Harare's ability to endure without Western finance.
Mutsvangwa also weighed in on corruption allegations that have been raised against businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei, a key Mnangagwa ally.
"If you have corruption allegations and evidence against Kudakwashe Tagwirei, then go to the police and the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission," he said, dismissing media reports as distractions.
Seeking to highlight Mnangagwa's achievements, Mutsvangwa credited the president with shutting down gold smuggling networks and boosting production to 51 tonnes per year.
He praised young entrepreneurs such as Scott Sakupwanya for "empowering other young people who are mining gold to get a fair price after production."
Despite his assurances, Mutsvangwa's remarks exposed the unease inside Zanu PF, where factional battles over succession are increasingly in the open.
