HARARE
–
Businessman
Bopela
Masiyakurima
on
Thursday
leaked
an
audio
recording
of
a
private
conversation
with
former
Zanu
PF
MP
Temba
Mliswa,
in
which
the
outspoken
politician
is
heard
claiming
that
fuel
magnate
Kudakwashe
Tagwirei
has
captured
Zimbabwe’s
military
and
is
being
positioned
as
President
Emmerson
Mnangagwa’s
successor.
In
the
recording,
Mliswa
alleges
that
Mnangagwa
has
secured
the
loyalty
of
the
armed
forces
through
Tagwirei’s
financial
muscle,
claiming
that
hundreds
of
vehicles
handed
to
the
Zimbabwe
Defence
Forces
last
week
did
not
come
from
the
government,
as
Mnangagwa
suggested,
but
from
the
Sakunda
Holdings
boss.
“Mnangagwa
will
leave
someone
he
trusts
to
look
after
his
interests,
and
that’s
Kuda.
There
is
no
coup
that
will
ever
happen
in
Zimbabwe.
Just
check,
military
bosses
were
given
100
cars.
Those
are
Kuda’s
cars,”
Mliswa
is
heard
saying.
He
goes
further
to
allege
that
ZDF
commander
General
Philip
Valerio
Sibanda
“salutes
Tagwirei”
when
he
passes
by,
underscoring
the
businessman’s
influence
over
the
military
hierarchy.
Mliswa
claimed
that
at
least
500
vehicles
would
be
distributed
not
only
to
top
commanders
but
also
to
colonels,
captains
and
majors,
calling
it
“good
politics”
as
mid-ranking
officers
are
the
ones
who
fight
wars.
He
also
revealed
he
was
travelling
the
country
distributing
bicycles
donated
by
Tagwirei
to
village
heads.
Masiyakurima
said
he
decided
to
record
the
conversation
after
rejecting
what
he
described
as
Mliswa’s
offer
to
join
a
campaign
backing
Tagwirei,
which
allegedly
came
with
promises
of
cash,
vehicles
and
support
for
his
business.
“When
I
realised
the
money
was
coming
with
conditions,
I
refused.
My
morals
and
principles
would
not
allow
me
to
be
a
sell-out,”
Masiyakurima
said.
“I
just
wanted
to
show
Zimbabweans
that
Temba
goes
to
the
highest
bidder.
He
has
been
recruited
by
Tagwirei
to
do
smear
campaigns
against
VP
Chiwenga.”
Reacting
to
the
leak,
Mliswa
accused
Masiyakurima
of
betrayal.
“As
for
you
Bopela,
I
considered
you
a
brother
and
friend
and
tried
to
help.
We
ate
and
took
children
to
school
together.
Unfortunately
you
had
other
ideas
to
please
who
I
don’t
know,”
Mliswa
wrote
on
X.
“Next
time,
leak
the
whole
conversation,
not
what
you
think
are
favourable
portions.”
Mliswa
has
in
recent
weeks
stepped
up
attacks
on
Chiwenga,
whom
he
accuses
of
double
standards
in
his
condemnation
of
corruption
by
a
group
of
business
elites
with
links
to
Mnangagwa.
Outspoken
war
veteran
Blessed
Geza
has
previously
alleged
that
the
former
Norton
MP’s
crusade
against
Chiwenga
was
sponsored
by
Mnangagwa
and
Tagwirei.
ZimLive
has
reached
out
to
the
ZDF
for
a
comment.