A devastating new video circulating in Zimbabwe’s political circles claims that Vice Presidents Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi have openly broken ranks with President Emmerson Mnangagwa, in what analysts are calling the most severe internal challenge to his leadership since he took power in 2017. The footage, titled ‘WATCH: Vp Mohadi And Vp Chiwenga Throws Mnangagwa Under The Bus, Biggest Humiliation Ever😳’, has triggered a firestorm of speculation about a looming split inside the ruling ZANU-PF party.
While the authenticity of the video has not been independently verified, its content and timing – just months after Mnangagwa’s controversial re-election in August 2023 – have exposed raw nerves in a party historically riven by factional warfare. The two vice presidents, each representing powerful military and political blocs, are seen making remarks that appear to blame Mnangagwa for the country’s deepening economic crisis, deteriorating relations with the West, and failure to secure a clear succession plan.
Factional War Returns to Harare
The video surfaces at a time when Mnangagwa’s grip on power had already appeared fragile. His 2023 election win was widely condemned by international observers as neither free nor fair, and the economy continues to spiral – inflation topped 55% in March 2025, unemployment exceeds 80%, and the Zimbabwe dollar has lost more than 90% of its value since January alone. Analysts say the vice presidents are using the economic misery to position themselves for a post-Mnangagwa era.
Chiwenga, a former army general who orchestrated the 2017 coup that brought Mnangagwa to power, is widely seen as the heir apparent. Mohadi, a veteran political operator from the southern Matabeleland region, controls a significant patronage network. The video appears to show both men aligning against the president, an alliance that, if real, would isolate Mnangagwa within his own party.
‘We are witnessing a classic ZANU-PF succession war played out in public,’ said Piers Pigou, senior consultant at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in Pretoria. ‘The party has a long history of using leaks and videos to weaken rivals. But having both VPs on the same side against the president is unprecedented in recent memory.’
Geopolitical Ripples Across Southern Africa
The crisis in Harare has immediate implications for the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Zimbabwe is a key member of the 16-nation bloc, and any internal instability risks spilling over into neighbouring Zambia, Botswana, and South Africa, which already hosts millions of Zimbabwean refugees and economic migrants.
South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC) is watching closely. Since the end of apartheid, the ANC and ZANU-PF have maintained close ties, with the former often shielding the latter from international pressure. But if Mnangagwa falls or faces a crippling challenge, the ANC could be forced to choose sides – or risk destabilising its own northern border.
Western powers have also reacted cautiously. The United States and the European Union maintain sanctions on Mnangagwa and several senior ZANU-PF officials. A power struggle in Harare could complicate efforts to restart dialogue on debt relief and economic reform. The International Monetary Fund has withheld new lending since 2019, citing governance failures.
‘The West has been waiting for a real opening for change in Zimbabwe,’ said Dr. Admore Kambudzi, a Zimbabwean political analyst based in Johannesburg. ‘If the video leads to a split in the ruling party, it could create space for genuine reform. But it could also trigger a violent crackdown, which would further isolate Zimbabwe.’
‘People are dying of hunger while these men fight for power,’ said Tafadzwa Musana, a civic activist in Bulawayo. ‘This video is not about the people. It is about who will control the spoils of a broken state.’
Whether the video is a genuine leak, a deepfake, or a staged piece of political theatre, its impact is already real: it has shattered the public illusion of unity inside Zimbabwe’s ruling party and laid bare the brutal contest for power that will define the country’s future.
