A faction of Zimbabwe’s liberation war veterans has thrown its weight behind Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, accusing the ruling ZANU PF party of drifting from its liberation ethos and showing intolerance to internal debate.

The Zimbabwe War Veterans Pressure Group, led by Rueben Zulu, said in a statement on Tuesday that it fully agrees with concerns raised by VP Chiwenga at the 23rd ZANU PF National People’s Conference held at Chinhoyi University of Technology from October 12 to 17.

The group claims VP Chiwenga was subjected to hostility, organized booing and attempts to silence him after he called for introspection, collective leadership and a return to people-centered decision making.

“Instead of engaging his concerns, sections of the conference reportedly resorted to organized booing and attempts to silence him,” the statement reads.

The Pressure Group alleges that individuals were mobilized and financially induced to disrupt the Vice President’s address.

However, that claim has not been independently verified.

“We Didn’t Fight For This”

Quoting its central grievance, the group said:

“The liberation struggle was not fought to replace colonial authoritarianism with indigenous authoritarianism.

The statement said the group’s support for Chiwenga was principled, not factional, and rooted in defence of the party’s constitution, known as the Green Book.

The group also linked the events at Chinhoyi to Constitutional Amendment Act No. 3 of 2026.

Among other provisions, the Act proposes that Parliament elects the President.

The Pressure Group said it has filed a court challenge against the amendment.

It further questioned the role of money in politics, stating that if allegations that funds were used to mobilize disruptors at the conference are substantiated, it would “represent a serious corruption of democratic participation.

Succession Undercurrents

The endorsement comes at a time of intensifying debate over succession within ZANU PF.

While President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s second and final term under the current Constitution ends in 2028, the party last year adopted a resolution to extend his term to 2030.

Vice President Chiwenga, a key figure in the November 2017 transition that brought Mnangagwa to power, is widely viewed as a potential successor.

War veterans remain a powerful political constituency within ZANU PF, and divisions within their ranks have often mirrored broader factional battles in the ruling party.

Cde Zulu’s group has challenged established war veterans leaders, including Douglas Mahiya and Cephas Ncube, to publicly disclose when consultations with war veterans on the constitutional amendments were held.

ZANU PF is yet to officially respond to the Pressure Group’s statement.