ZANU-PF Rules Out Succession Talk at Upcoming Conference

7 October 2025

Nokusa Masuku

ZANU-PF has confirmed that succession will not be discussed at its upcoming conference in Mutare, scheduled for 10 to 23 October, 2025.

The party’s Information and Publicity Director, Farai Marapira, emphasized that succession matters are reserved for the ZANU-PF Congress, set for 2027.

Marapira attributed the ongoing public debate on succession to external forces, claiming that individuals without historical ties to the party are driving the conversation.

“Succession is dealt with at Congress. We’re not going to Congress, we have Congress in 2027. We’re going to a Conference and the issue of succession is not an issue within ZANU PF.

“If you look, most of the peverers of this succession issue are known not to be members of ZANU PF, they’re known not to be within the structures of ZANU PF. So as ZANU PF we will not allow a conversation to be imported into the party,” reiterated Marapira.

The upcoming conference will focus on reviewing the party’s progress in fulfilling its 2023 election mandate, with a strong emphasis on economic development.

Marapira highlighted that the party’s priority is to continue taking Zimbabwe on a positive economic trajectory, as promised to the electorate.

“We’re going to Conference to continue with checking up with the mandate which we received from people in 2023,” said Marapira.

He added, “We all know that the issue is the economy, the people of Zimbabwe voted for President Mnangagwa so that he could continue taking Zimbabwe on a positive economic trajectory and this is what we’ll be focused on.

“Resolution number one actually speaks to the fact that succession is not yet a conversation because resolution number one actually speaks to the perpetuation of the current, so you can not perpetuate the current and talk of succession at the same time.”

Marapira affirmed that ZANU-PF will not adopt agendas driven by external voices.