The claim, first aired during a live broadcast by a Harare-based media outlet, alleges that a coordinated plan involving state security agencies was set in motion to detain Chiwenga on criminal charges shortly after his return from a diplomatic visit to Kampala. Neither the Vice President's office nor the Zimbabwean government has officially commented on the report, but independent analysts warn that even the unsubstantiated rumor reflects a dangerous breakdown in the country's already fragile political truce.
The Alleged Plot and Its Backdrop
Chiwenga, a former army general who orchestrated the 2017 military intervention that ousted Robert Mugabe, has been locked in an increasingly public rivalry with President Mnangagwa. The two men were once allies in the post-Mugabe transition, but a series of cabinet reshuffles and corruption investigations have been widely interpreted as an attempt by Mnangagwa to sideline his deputy. In 2019, Chiwenga survived an assassination attempt in the form of a suspicious food poisoning incident while on a trip to China, and in 2021 he underwent months of medical treatment abroad, fueling speculation about his political future.
'This is not just a rumor; it is a sign that the internal power struggle is moving from the boardroom to the barracks,' said a Harare-based political analyst who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. 'If true, the arrest of a sitting vice president would be unprecedented in Zimbabwe's history. It would fracture the military, split the party, and send a signal to the region that the state itself is being weaponized.'
