By Munacho Gwamanda- A Zanu PF faction aligned with the party’s Women’s League boss, Mabel Chinomona, recently won the Manicaland Women’s top leadership position, defeating that of  Women’s Affairs Minister Monica Mutsvangwa and her husband, Zanu PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa.

The Chinomona-aligned candidate, Dorothy Mabika, was recently declared the substantive chairperson of the Zanu PF Manicaland Women’s League, decisively beating Mercy Sacco, who had the backing of Monica Mutsvangwa.

With Chinomona’s full support, Mabika secured a landslide victory—reportedly garnering 29 votes to Sacco’s lone vote—further cementing her faction’s dominance in the province.

The election, held on April 6, was meant to replace Happiness Nyakuedzwa, who was suspended from party positions last year. 

Despite initial resistance from the Mutsvangwa camp, Mabika’s victory has now been officially endorsed by the national leadership.

A memo confirming Mabika’s appointment was signed by Women’s League Secretary Mabel Chinomona and addressed to Manicaland provincial chairperson Tawanda Mukodza. 

It was also copied to high-ranking officials including Zanu PF Secretary-General Obert Mpofu, National Political Commissar Munyaradzi Machacha, Monica Mutsvangwa, and Mabika’s rival, Mercy Sacco.

“We are writing to confirm and endorse Cde Mabika as the substantive provincial chairwoman for Manicaland Province with immediate effect,” the memo reads.

Mabika, a seasoned party cadre and former deputy provincial chairperson, expressed humility and gratitude upon her confirmation. 

She pledged to focus on women’s empowerment and development projects in support of President Mnangagwa’s agenda, vowing to unite women behind Zanu PF’s vision and to push for an extension of Mnangagwa’s presidency until 2030.

But the election has sparked deep internal rifts, with Chris Mutsvangwa going on the offensive against Information Minister Jenfan Muswere, whom he accused of prematurely announcing the results before party leadership had sanctioned them.

In a scathing letter, Mutsvangwa blasted Muswere for bypassing party protocol by authorizing ZBC and The Herald to publicize Mabika’s victory. 

He labeled the move “irregular” and a violation of party procedure, claiming that only his office—as party spokesperson—had the authority to make such announcements.

Yet beneath the procedural outrage lay a more personal motive: Mutsvangwa was fighting for his wife’s faction, which had just been humiliated in a high-stakes intra-party contest.

“The meeting was cancelled,” said one insider, “but the other faction went ahead at an unknown location. There is real fighting in the women’s league. Chinomona supports Mabika, while Monica Mutsvangwa supports Sacco. Now Chris [Mutsvangwa] is fighting in his wife’s corner.”

Observers say Mutsvangwa’s letter was less about party discipline and more about protecting his family’s waning political influence.

His aggressive tone, public rebuke of a cabinet minister, and use of the party’s communications machinery have exposed his desperation to maintain relevance.

“This is not just about Muswere,” a senior Zanu PF official noted. “Chris Mutsvangwa is trying to reassert himself as a power broker in the party. But this was a miscalculated move—and it shows how much he has lost grip.”

Muswere, a youthful minister and MP for Makoni, is widely regarded as one of President Mnangagwa’s rising protégés. 

His increasing control over state media narratives suggests a shift in the president’s inner circle—one that favors the younger generation over the liberation-era stalwarts like Mutsvangwa.

“Muswere is part of Mnangagwa’s strategy to build a loyal base,” another source added. “Mutsvangwa knows this, and he’s threatened by it.”

Once instrumental in helping Mnangagwa ascend to power during the 2017 coup that deposed Robert Mugabe, Chris Mutsvangwa’s relationship with the president has since deteriorated. 

Party insiders say he now positions himself as a potential successor, leveraging his liberation war credentials and connections among veterans and elites disillusioned with Mnangagwa’s leadership.

Rumors of personal history between Monica Mutsvangwa and President Mnangagwa—long dismissed as gossip—have resurfaced amid the factional fallout, further fueling speculation about the deep, personal stakes in this battle for influence.

“These are not just political fights,” a source said. “These are wars rooted in ambition, betrayal, and survival.”

As the party gears up for a potentially explosive elective congress, the Mutsvangwas’ defeat in Manicaland marks more than just a local political setback.

It signals a broader realignment within Zanu PF, where old alliances are crumbling and new power centers are emerging.

While Mutsvangwa lashes out to defend his wife’s interests, Muswere is quietly consolidating his own—and with the president’s backing, he may be unstoppable.

“This is no longer about protocol,” the party official concluded. “It’s about who controls the future of Zanu PF—and who’sbeing left behind.”