ZANU PF’s commissariat department has thrown out the Manicaland provincial co-ordinating committee’s (PCC) controversial decision to co-opt Paul Tungwarara into the ruling party’s central committee, declaring the move null and void for violating the party’s own regulations.
In a hard-hitting letter dated December 11, national political commissar Munyaradzi Machacha ordered the Manicaland leadership to immediately reverse the co-option, accusing the province of ignoring clear instructions contained in a legal affairs department circular issued on June 30, 2025.
The PCC had convened a meeting on December 7, where Tungwarara was reportedly elevated to fill the seat left vacant by Dorothy Mabika.
But the commissariat says the process was fundamentally flawed because the replacement should have come from the same administrative district as the outgoing member — in this case, Chipinge.
Machacha warned that the province violated mandatory guidelines governing co-options, stressing that the rules were designed to ensure “equitable distribution of seats across all administrative districts” and to prevent manipulation of the selection process.
The letter raised the alarm over alleged attempts by candidates to influence the process with money or goods.
The commissariat ordered an immediate halt to any activities involving the issuance of money, goods or services by aspiring candidates, saying such conduct constitutes vote-buying and will result in automatic disqualification.
“In view of the above, Manicaland province is advised to conduct another co-option process following the correct guidelines and procedures,” Machacha wrote in a stern directive that effectively reset the entire selection exercise.
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The development signalled intensifying internal tensions within Zanu PF’s Manicaland structures, where factional battles and allegations of manipulation have frequently erupted over key party posts.
With the central committee standing as one of the party’s most powerful organs, the reversal of Tungwarara’s co-option is expected to spark fresh lobbying and possibly more friction as Chipinge district moves to nominate a new candidate in line with the party’s regulations.
