Former ZANU PF national commissar Saviour Kasukuwere has reportedly become the primary target of a faction within the party, which is seeking retribution against a group of war veterans led by Blessed Geza.
This Geza faction is accused of spearheading a campaign to oust President Emmerson Mnangagwa from power.
A faction aligned with Mnangagwa is pushing for a constitutional amendment that would allow him to serve a third term, while the rival faction, fronted by Geza, opposes the move.
According to a security source quoted by The NewsHawks, Kasukuwere is among the former G40 members who are seen as part of a group attempting to stage an uprising against Mnangagwa. Said a source:
Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga is seen by President Mnangagwa and a section of the system which supports him as the leader of the March31 Movement fronted by Geza. Chiwenga is seen as the architect of the campaign and Godfather of the faction.
However, there are some former G40 members who are also seen as kingpins of the group spearheading an attempted uprising against Mnangagwa, especially Kasukuwere. He has become a prime target of the system.
Kasukuwere currently lives in Johannesburg, South Africa, after fleeing Zimbabwe following the November 2017 coup that ousted former president Robert Mugabe, along with other prominent G40 members.
After the coup, Kasukuwere first went to Maputo, Mozambique, then to Nairobi, Kenya, with fellow ex-minister Jonathan Moyo, after surviving a military raid on his mansion in Harare’s Glen Lorne area.
Other high-profile officials who fled the coup included Walter Mzembi, Patrick Zhuwao, Mandi Chimene, and Godfrey Gandawa.
Kasukuwere briefly returned to Zimbabwe in 2018, attempting to mend relations with Mnangagwa’s government, but his efforts failed, and he left again under the threat of arrest or harm. Since then, he has been seen as a political threat to Mnangagwa’s administration.
Ahead of the 2023 elections, Kasukuwere tried to return to Zimbabwe to run for president, but he was blocked by legal and political means, and was threatened with arrest if he returned.
Reports suggest that Mnangagwa and his allies have launched a witchhunt to uncover who is supporting or working with war veterans, particularly Blessed Geza, who is leading the campaign against his rule.