President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s investment advisor Paul Tungwarara, who has become a key proponent of the Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3, which seeks to extend the president’s term of office, is now a marked man.
His unrelenting loyalty and support for the president has earned him formidable foes that are now baying for his blood.
Tungwarara’s forthright declaration, targeted at overly ambitious individuals within the ruling Zanu PF party that the pesident’s seat was not vacant until after 2030, further agitated his nemeses who instantaneously sprang into action to besmirch his reputation.
He became a victim of underhand maneuvers ranging from deleterious media campaigns including muckraking and backbiting, rumour mongering and skullduggery – all calculated at staining his good standing both in Zanu PF and in the court of public opinion public
But Tungwarara has taken this spirited vilification campaign in his stride.
Since storming the limelight following his appointment as Mnangagwa’s special investment advisor in November 2024, Tungwarara has gained admiration especially from among ruling Zanu PF supporters who see him as a dedicated and loyal advocate and enabler of the President’s economic development agenda.
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He is widely revered for demonstrating strong support to proposals aimed at extending Mnangagwa’s stay in office to maintain the current momentum in Zimbabwe’s socio-economic development.
Tungwarara’s dedication towards the president is evidenced by his relentless efforts in pushing the Mnangagwa’s programmes aimed at improving the socio-economic status of millions of Zimbabweans.
The industrious businessman is crisscrossing the length and breadth of Zimbabwe supporting Mnangagwa’s development agenda.
He has been involved in an array of development programme ranging from spearheading the Presidential Borehole Scheme, the Presidential River Rehabilitation Programme including leading the Presidential Solar Scheme for rural and urban homes.
Additionally, he is overseeing the Presidential Constituency Empowerment Fund, Presidential Youth Empowerment Scheme, and the Presidential War Veterans Fund.
This is in addition to several other ground breaking programmes including the Presidential Internet Scheme (aiming at three million households), and the US$500 million Zimbabwe-Dubai Cyber City project, the Presidential Empowerment Programmes, which distribute funds to rural and urban communities to boost local entrepreneurship, the rehabilitation of health infrastructure, including the renovation of hospitals and teacher accommodation.
In implementing these enormous programmes, Tungwarara always emphasizes that he is being sent to merely implement Mnangagwa’s vision.
It is these unrelenting efforts and unyielding loyalty to the president that have earned Tungwarara foes within the ruling party.
Troubles kicked in especially after the tough-talking Tungwarara warned exceedingly ambitious Zanu PF members not to eye Mnangagwa’s seat pointing out that there will be no vacancy until after 2030 when the President finishes his extended term.
He even suggested that because of the good work Mnangagwa was doing, he could even lead the country up to 2050.
” President Mnangagwa should rule until 2050 because he is doing a great job,” Tungwarara said in a video that went viral
“Zvaari kuita Mnangagwa zvinovengwa nemuroyi chete,” loosely translates to mean the good work being done by the President can only be opposed and disliked only by witches
After the declarations, all hell broke loose.
Tungwarara became a target of weird accusations amid reports that there are groups being paid to tarnish his image though peddling malicious content in both the legacy media and on digital media platforms.
As a result of the meticulous campaign of vilification, at one point, his development programmes, aimed at supporting Mnangagwa’s vision, were briefly suspended.
The actions were linked to the overambitious individuals eying the president’s seat who are in a malevolent campaign against Tungwarara.
“People have created some issues that can be deemed criminal, simply because Paul Tungwarara has declared that the President is going nowhere until 2030 even until 2050,” said an insider.
The insider said despite the campaign against Tungwarara, his work is being widely appreciated by both Zanu PF supporters and the general public.
As a show of confidence, President Mnangagwa last month expanded the role of Paul Tungwarara from being primarily an advisor focused on Dubai to include all regions and expanding the portfolio to cover the empowerment front.
This is despite the relentless efforts to vilify and discredit him.