Chiwenga’s
document,
which
he
submitted
to
Mnangagwa
on
17
September,
began
by
referencing
the
November
2017
military
intervention
that
brought
the
pair
to
power.
He
accused
Mnangagwa’s
close
allies
of
“corruption,
capture,
and
betrayal”
of
the
ideals
of
the
2017
operation.
The
vice
president
singled
out
four
individuals,
Kudakwashe
Tagwirei,
Wicknell
Chivhayo,
Scott
Sakupwanya,
and
Delish
Nguwaya,
alleging
that
they
used
illicit
funds
to
“bribe
fellow
comrades
and
party
structures
to
gain
support,
protection,
and
influence.”
Chiwenga
claimed
they
had
“not
only
enriched
themselves
but
are
using
their
stolen
wealth
to
capture
the
Party,
manipulate
state
institutions,
and
compromise
key
officials.”
In
response,
a
document
authored
by
ZANU
PF’s
legal
secretary,
Ziyambi
Ziyambi,
and
presented
to
the
Politburo
on
Tuesday,
14
October,
described
Chiwenga’s
dossier
as
“fundamentally
flawed,
treasonous,
and
showing
a
lack
of
understanding
of
party
procedures
and
the
national
constitution.”
Said
Ziyambi:
“At
its
core,
the
document
advocates
for
the
unlawful
removal
of
a
constitutionally
elected
President,
which
is
palpably
treasonous.“The
document
not
only
undermines
the
President
but
also
the
economy
and
individuals
who
work
hard
to
support
the
Party.“One
wonders
whether
the
placement
under
sanctions
of
some
of
these
individuals
was
not
a
result
of
such
reckless
utterances.“Such
reckless
utterances
have
cost
our
economy,
His
Excellency’s
goodwill
in
the
international
fora,
and
individuals
who
have
been
unduly
placed
under
sanctions,
and
in
the
end,
no
investor
would
want
to
invest
in
our
country.“What
is
equally
troubling
is
how
such
a
document
found
its
way
into
the
hands
of
hostile
media
houses
across
the
country.“The
circumstances
under
which
the
author
obtained
access
to
the
documents,
now
in
the
public
domain,
remain
highly
questionable
and
amount
to
a
violation
of
the
Official
Secrets
Act.“The
presentation
bears
a
striking
resemblance
to
the
narratives
perpetuated
by
Geza,
Western
media
and
all
our
detractors
bent
on
undermining
our
sovereignty
and
constitutional
order.“Whilst
the
author
castigates
certain
individuals,
he
has
never
castigated
Geza,
a
rebel
who
was
expelled
from
the
Party
and
is
bent
on
inciting
chaos
in
the
country.“The
Party
remains
committed
to
fostering
an
environment
where
constructive
criticism
and
dissenting
views
are
valued,
but
such
views
must
be
presented
in
a
manner
that
is
respectful,
factually
accurate,
and
in
good
faith.“The
author
of
the
document
does
not
understand
the
tenets
of
democracy
and
the
difference
between
civilian
and
military
conduct,
which
prompts
a
reorientation
course
at
the
Chitepo
School
of
Ideology
for
the
whole
Politburo
and
Central
Committee,
on
the
Supremacy
of
the
Party
and
basic
tenets
of
democracy.“The
document’s
intention
is
suspect,
and
its
allegations
are
baseless
and
devoid
of
evidence.“We
are
compelled
to
re-emphasise
that
any
attempt
to
stage
a
coup,
whether
through
treacherous
acts,
misrepresentation
of
facts,
violation
of
others’
privacy,
incitement
of
violence
and
despondency,
or
willful
blindness
to
positive
development,
is
a
grave
offence
that
undermines
the
stability
and
unity
of
our
nation
and
should
be
liable
to
immediate
censure.”
ZANU
PF
insiders
who
spoke
to
ZimLive
said
that
Chiwenga
also
faced
criticism
from
the
party’s
national
chair,
Oppah
Muchinguri.
She
reminded
him
that
they
had
all
fought
in
the
liberation
war,
but
their
paths
diverged
at
independence,
with
Chiwenga
becoming
a
soldier
while
others
entered
government.
Muchinguri
reportedly
told
Chiwenga,
a
retired
commander
of
the
Zimbabwe
Defence
Forces,
that
there
was
“nothing
special
about
coming
from
the
barracks.”
ZANU
PF
legal
secretary
Patrick
Chinamasa
also
reportedly
criticised
the
vice
president,
saying
his
attacks
on
the
Land
Tenure
Implementation
Committee,
led
by
Kudakwashe
Tagwirei,
overlooked
the
fact
that
“the
president
owns
all
land.”
In
response,
Chiwenga
reportedly
spoke
briefly,
but
the
room
fell
silent
after
he
spoke.
He
reportedly
said:
“I’ve
listened
to
all
your
presentations
and
I’m
convinced
that
all
of
you
support
zvigananda.
It’s
okay.
I
acknowledge
it.”