Chiwenga Warns ZANU PF Against Imposed Leadership Changes, Repeating Past Mistakes
By Dumisani Ndlovu — Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga warns ZANU PF against imposing change from above, calling for honest self-appraisal, grassroots participation and accountability at its national conference.
Dumisani Ndlovu 
Chinhoyi — Zimbabwe Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga has warned ZANU PF leaders against imposing change from above, questioning whether the ruling party is repeating the mistakes that led to military action against the late Robert Mugabe and ushering in of the Second Republic.
Addressing the party’s 23rd National People’s Conference in Chinhoyi on Friday, Vice President Chiwenga called for an immediate halt to individualistic ambitions and demanded a "brutal and honest self-appraisal" of the party’s leadership practices.
“Chii chakaita kuti second Republic ivepo? Kwaive kugadzirisa zvakaipa zvanga zvichiitika mumashure, hatisi kudzokorora here kuita zvakambotadzwa?” (What led to the creation of the second Republic? It was to correct the past wrongs, are we not repeating the same mistakes that were made back then?) Chiwenga asked.
Chiwenga, who also serves as ZANU PF’s Second Secretary, delivered the address before introducing President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the party’s First Secretary and conference Guest of Honour.
Speaking under the conference theme, 'From Resolutions to Results: Consolidating Economic Development and Deepening Economic Empowerment Towards Vision 2030,' Chiwenga asserted that authority and decision-making must remain anchored in ordinary party members and official constitutional structures.
“Change must be driven by the people, not imposed from above,” Chiwenga said, “our party is a people’s party, forged through the sweat, toil and blood of the masses. Our party belongs to the Ppeople, never to individuals," he said.
He questioned whether conference resolutions authentically reflect grassroots aspirations and cautioned leaders against placing personal agendas above party unity, invoking the Shona expression, “Mazvake mazvake haana kwaanotisvitsa” (Individualism will get us nowhere).
“Discipline, accountability and selfless service must define our trajectory, superseding disjointed or individualistic approaches,” he said, adding that "we are here to serve the people, never to be served by them.”
Chiwenga urged the leadership to accept criticism, manage disagreements constructively and ensure that policy resolutions yield tangible economic benefits for ordinary Zimbabweans rather than leaving them as "hewers of wood and drawers of water."
“The true value of a resolution lies entirely in its substance, implementation and its tangible impact on the lives of the people we represent and serve,” Vice President Chiwenga said.
