President Mnangagwa, the same “mweya waRigiyoni” is what paved the way for your ascendancy to power

What is good for the goose is good for the gander.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa addressed the ZANU-PF Central Committee meeting today with a stern warning.

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He denounced internal subversion and factionalism within party ranks. Using a well-known biblical metaphor, he cautioned against “mweya waRigiyoni,” or the spirit of Legion. In his words, this chaotic and evil spirit brings division, insubordination, and unrest. He made it clear that such forces will not be tolerated in the ruling party. His meaning was obvious to all. The president framed anyone harboring unapproved political ambitions or organizing rival groups as possessed by an evil spirit.

But is he right to characterize internal opposition and political ambition in such demonic terms? In choosing this framing, President Mnangagwa misses a fundamental truth. Political factionalism does not exist in a vacuum. It does not descend out of nowhere to possess innocent political actors. Factionalism has clear, practical causes. For one, pure, unbridled ambition for power drives individuals to form groups. They organize to position themselves for succession or to unseat a sitting leader.

We have seen this play out in Zimbabwe before, ironically with Mnangagwa himself at the center. During the era of the late Robert Mugabe, intense factions emerged as the aging leader held onto office. First came the Gamatox group led by then Vice President Joice Mujuru. Mnangagwa aligned with then First Lady Grace Mugabe to outwit Mujuru. Mugabe purged Mujuru and her allies, such as Didymus Mutasa, opening the way for Mnangagwa to become vice president in 2014. Almost immediately, that alliance collapsed. Grace Mugabe led the G40 faction while Mnangagwa commanded Lacoste. Both sides fought fiercely to succeed the nonagenarian president.

This bitter squabble led directly to Mnangagwa’s expulsion from the vice presidency in early November 2017. He fled the country, only to return two weeks later following a military coup d’état led by then Defence Forces Commander Constantino Chiwenga. Mugabe resigned, and Mnangagwa assumed the presidency. Can we then say this was all the work of the “spirit of Legion”? Was that chaotic maneuvering not the very path that paved Mnangagwa’s way to the highest office? Why is that same spirit suddenly nefarious today when others express ambition? Are we to believe that in ZANU-PF, only specific figures are permitted to harbor presidential ambitions? What is good for the goose is good for the gander.

No single individual holds a monopoly on ambition. The desire for power is the ultimate engine of political life. When people enter politics, they seek influence and authority. When an official sees the presidency as the next logical step, they will maneuver to achieve it—just as Mnangagwa himself did. Furthermore, we cannot ignore the other major driver of factionalism. Officials often feel a sitting leader has held onto power for far too long. When a leader refuses to vacate, internal friction becomes inevitable. Members look for ways to create space for a new generation of leadership. This tension deepens when a leader actively alters rules to prolong their tenure. We are seeing this scenario play out in Zimbabwe right now.

The Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment No. 3 Act was enacted in July 2026. It extended the presidential term from five to seven years. As a result, the presidential selection expected in 2028 at the end of Mnangagwa’s two terms has moved to 2030. Now, efforts are underway to amend the ZANU-PF constitution to align it with the national constitution, delaying the scheduled 2027 elective congress. What did the president expect to happen when rivals saw him holding onto power? Did he expect ambitious leaders to fold their arms and support maneuvers that delay their own ambitions?

Everyone who enters politics wants power. When a sitting leader signals an unwillingness to leave, ambitious rivals will organize and fight back. These are the plain truths that national leaders must accept. Factionalism exists across the world, even in advanced democracies. While it cannot be erased entirely, its root causes can be addressed. The best way to manage factionalism is for a leader to respect established term limits and step down gracefully. Calling political opposition an evil spirit does not change reality. The blunt truth remains that those who accuse others today used the exact same formula yesterday.

***Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice advocate and writer. Please feel free to contact him on +263715667700 or ***[email protected]

Source: President Mnangagwa, the same “mweya waRigiyoni” is what paved the way for your ascendancy to power

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