Tensions Mount as Mnangagwa Inner Circle Pushes to Oust VP Chiwenga Amid Fears of Civil Unrest

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HARARE – President Emmerson Mnangagwa is reportedly under intense pressure from his inner circle to remove Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, a move that sources warn could plunge Zimbabwe into political chaos or even civil conflict.

Highly placed sources revealed that a high-level meeting took place on Sunday morning at Mnangagwa’s private Precabe Farm in Kwekwe. Attendees included key ZANU-PF powerbrokers and loyalists, among them businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei, Local Government Minister July Moyo, Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, former State Security Minister Owen “Mudha” Ncube, and First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa.

The group reportedly reached a consensus to push forward with plans to fire Chiwenga—who played a pivotal role in the 2017 coup that brought Mnangagwa to power—despite stark warnings from security agencies and senior military figures about the potential fallout.

Multiple sources, including war veterans and political analysts, have sounded alarm bells over the decision.

“We have received intel of a decision that has been made at Precabe Farm. Hazvife zvakaitika musamyeperana (This will never happen, don’t fool yourselves),” war veteran Knox Chivero warned in a cryptic social media post on Sunday afternoon.

Veteran investigative journalist Hopewell Chin’ono also hinted at a power struggle at the top.

“They want to fire someone, but the principal is afraid. The advisors are pushing him, but he’s uncertain. ‘Do you really know what you’re doing?’ he reportedly asked them,” Chin’ono posted, suggesting deep internal hesitations.

Meanwhile, UK-based Zimbabwean lawyer and political analyst Brighton Mutebuka released a detailed account of the situation, warning of an impending crisis:

“Fellow Zimbabweans, I regret to interrupt your Sunday with grim news. Zimbabwe is on the brink of civil war,” Mutebuka wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Sources report that during a Joint Operations Command (JOC) meeting held on April 5, President Mnangagwa asked for an assessment on the consequences of removing Chiwenga.”

According to Mutebuka, the head of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), Fulton Mangwanya, raised strong objections, questioning the rationale for such a drastic move. New Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) commander, Lieutenant General Emmanuel Matatu, reportedly issued an even more dire warning—predicting chaos in army barracks and a total loss of command if Chiwenga were sacked.

“Chiwenga is not someone you just remove. He is a cornerstone of the military-political matrix. Any such move could spark a military backlash,” a senior security source said.

Despite the warnings, Mnangagwa’s allies at the Precabe Farm meeting reportedly resolved to proceed not only with Chiwenga’s dismissal, but also to target Retired Lieutenant General Engelbert Rugeje, a former political commissar and Chiwenga ally, further widening the fault lines within the ruling establishment.

Sources within the military say Chiwenga and his loyalists have been alerted and are prepared to respond if necessary. This comes amid growing discontent within ZANU-PF ranks, as war veterans and political insiders increasingly accuse Mnangagwa of surrounding himself with unelected figures and sidelining key liberation-era leaders.

“We are staring at Armageddon,” said one source close to the security apparatus. “If not handled with extreme caution, this could spiral into a point of no return.”

Mnangagwa’s camp has not issued an official statement on the developments. Vice President Chiwenga also remains silent, although his aides suggest he is “fully aware” of the brewing storm.

The developments mark a dramatic escalation in Zimbabwe’s internal power struggles, with fears mounting that unresolved political rifts could soon explode into open confrontation—threatening not just ZANU-PF unity, but the country’s fragile stability.