PRESIDENT Emmmerson Mnangagwa’s investment adviser Paul Tungwarara is facing intense political isolation following a series of missteps and renewed scrutiny of long-standing corruption allegations, party sources have confirmed.
Tungwarara’s position, already weakened, appears to have deteriorated further after an incident at a high-level private meeting convened by Mnangagwa earlier this week.
The meeting, held at the President’s residence and attended by top businessmen, including Kudakwashe Tagwirei and ambassador-at-Large Eubert Angel, focused on party financing.
During a brief photo session, he positioned himself prominently beside the President, an image which found its way to social media.
Tungwarara has been skating on thin ice since Mnangagwa banned his rallies in Manicaland province last week, following his speeches that critics say attacked the party leadership.
A senior party official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Tungwarara has “multiple corruption-related dockets” pending, with cases dating back to at least 2016.
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The official described these as a “sword of Damocles” that has left him vulnerable.
Further scrutiny now surrounds Tungwarara’s claim to the Environmental Management Authority that he holds “national exclusive rights” to rehabilitate river ecosystems across all provinces.
This assertion is under review, with insiders questioning its legitimacy.
On the other hand, businessman Wicknell Chivayo — conspicuous by his absence from the President’s meeting — publicly endorsed the gathering’s agenda, but made a veiled attack on Tungwarara.
In a statement, Chivayo accused some unnamed officials of “destabilising the party”, a serious charge within Zanu PF ranks.
A political analyst said the confluence of factors paints a dire picture.
“When legal vulnerability meets political miscalculation and a loss of patronage, the outcome is almost always a fall from grace,” the analyst said.
“Tungwarara is demonstrating a frantic effort to cling to relevance, but the unified pushback suggests his time in the inner circle is over.”
Yesterday, Tungwarara refused to comment on the matter.