Kudzai Chipanga

Service/Career

It was reported that Kudzai Chipanga joined Zanu-PF Youth wing in early 2000. His family was reported to have been actively involved in politics. His uncle, ['[Shadreck Chipanga]] is former Legislator for Makoni West and a senior Zanu PF member in Manicaland Province. Kudzai is said to have risen through the ranks of the youth league from district level up to the province, landing the post of secretary for External Affairs in the Zanu PF national executive in 2008, and in 2014 was elected the deputy secretary for Youth League.

In 2013, he participated in the Zanu PF primary elections in Makoni West constituency and was nominated to represent the party in the elections. Webber Chinyadza was the sitting legislator of the constituency.
In the 2013 Elections, (see A History of Zimbabwean Elections) Makoni West returned to Parliament:

• Kudzanai Chipanga of Zanu PF with 7 983 votes or 62.05 percent,
• Webber Chinyadza of MDC–T with 4 187 votes or 32.55 percent,
• Didymus Masenda of MDC–N with 639 votes or 4.97 percent,
• 1 other with 56 votes or 0.44 percent.

Total 12 865 votes

In 2009, he was elected to be a Central Committee member of Zanu PF. Chipanga indicated that he graduated from the Border Gezi Training Centre in Mt Darwin, where he did his national service programme after completion of secondary school. In 2016 Chipanga was appointed by the President to be Secretary of Youth Affairs in the party, 5 months following the vote of no confidence on its former secretary, Pupurai Togarepi in March 2016. Chipanga had acted in the position. ^[1]

Events

Involvement in Zanu PF Factionalism

At the end of 2014, the race to succeed President Robert Mugabe resulted in factional fighting in Zanu-PF with two main opposing sides; reportedly one faction led by Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa (called Lacoste Faction) and the other by the first lady Grace Mugabe (called the G40 faction in the media). Chipanga was reported to be in the G40 camp. In early 2016, the factional fights saw Chipanga speak publicly against war veterans and government-owned media (Zimpapers), believed then to be supporting the Mnangagwa faction.

Confrontation with War Veterans & The Herald

In February 2016, following reports that war veterans were unhappy with the way the G40 faction were having their way in the party without any recourse, Chipanga dared the war veterans to a fight. He also described them as "sickening rabble-rousers". On 16 February 2016, he was reported to have said,

If we (the youths) say let us go to war today, how many war veterans are there? They are very few. We (the youths) constitute 65 percent of this country . . . So be ready and we are going to call you when the time comes . . . They are not going to do anything. We will give them a 100-metre race and they will fail to run. They are sick with sugar (diabetes) (sic).^[2]

A few days later, Chipanga threatened to incite the youths to demonstrate against Zimpapers, for reporting that "seems to favour a certain faction,". ^[3].

Chipanga's words against the war veterans attracted criticism, as well as praise from President Mugabe although he reprimanded him for being rude to the war veterans who Mugabe said, were Chipanga's elders.

Vote of No Confidence in Youth League leaders

In early March 2016, Chipanga led the Zanu PF Youth League in passing a “vote of no confidence” in its secretary and Politburo member Pupurai Togarepi and two other senior officials in the wing. Though no reason was given, he was believed to be part of the faction fighting within the party. ^[4] Togarepi's ouster effectively elevated Chipanga to the helm of the Youth League.

Million Man March

Chipanga spearheaded the organising of the Million Man March in May 2016. Though he said the march's objective was to stand in solidarity with the president of the party, Robert Mugabe, it was widely believed and reported (including in the government-owned Media) that the march was targeted at demonstrating against the other faction and effectively displaying the strength of the G40 faction. The march took place on 25 May 2016.

Youth Interface Rallies

As the new head of the Zanu-PF Youth League, Chipanga organized what they referred to as Youth Interface Rallies, the first one being held on 2 June 2017. The rallies were used as a platform by Chipanga, Grace Mugabe and the president Robert Mugabe to fight the Lacoste faction and specifically target Emmerson Mnangagwa. Progressively, the rallies 'exposed' Mnangagwa as a faction leader and one that was planning to unconstitutionally succeed Mugabe.

At the Youth Interface Rally held on Saturday 4 November, Mugabe threatened that he would fire Mnangagwa, asking if he had a made a mistake in appointing him vice president. Two days later, on 6 November, Mnangagwa was fired from the post of Vice President of Zimbabwe.

Triggered by the firing of Mnangagwa, a week later, the army, led by General Constantino Chiwenga announced that they were ready to step in to right the problems in Zanu PF factionalism fights. November 2017 Military Coup. Chipanga then released a statement accusing the Zimbabwe Defence Forces of misappropriating The $15 Billion Diamond Money and warning that the Youth League were ready to die for Mugabe.

We as Zanu Pf Youth League are a lion which has awakened and found its voice, therefore we will not sit idly and fold our hands whilst cheap potshots and threats are made against the legitimate and popularly elected Leader of the revolutionary party, Zanu-PF and Zimbabwe, His Excellency, Head of State and Government and Commander In Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, Cde Robert Gabriel Mugabe.

This statement is therefore issued without regret, fear or compunction. Defending the revolution and our Leader and President is an ideal we live for and if need be it is a principle we are prepared to die for. ^[5]

On the evening of the 14 November 2017, Chipanga was reportedly picked up by the military and taken into custody.

The next day, the Youth League posted on Twitter that Chipanga was fine and that he had asked the League to comply with the new "National Democratic Project".

On the night of 15 November 2017, Chipanga appeared on national TV apologizing to the military generals for his statements the previous day. He claimed that the Youth League had not authored the statement and that they had just been used.

Expulsion From Party

A Zanu PF Central Committee meeting was held in Special Session at the Party Headquarters in Harare on the 19 November 2017 in terms of Article 7 Section 37(7) of the Party’s Constitution. The meeting, having been duly convened, noted the incapacitation of the top leadership of the Party to execute their duties as enjoined by the Party’s Constitution. ^[6] Kudzai Chipanga was among the list of the expelled. press statement announcing Mugabe’s removal, 20 G40 members expelled

Readmittance

Kudzai Chipanga was readmitted into Zanu PF on 14 July 2021. Chipanga was barred from holding positions in the party for 3 years.

Expulsion from Parliament

Chipanga was among the five Zanu PF expelled legislators who were expelled after his earlier expulsion from the party. Mabel Chinomona, the Deputy speaker of Parliament made the announcement on 20 November 2017.

Alleged Farm Repossession

It was reported that the government was going to repossess Chipanga's farm which was corruptly acquired. This was despite the fact that it was meant for the construction of a University. Chipanga was also alleged to be renting out the farm to the former owner for $7 000 per month at the expense of conducting any meaningful activity. ^[7]

In March 2018, Kudzai Chipanga's bail was reported to have been relaxed to allow him to continue farming. This followed after his lawyer Lovemore Madhuku had argued before Harare magistrate Tilda Mazhanje that his client's bail was stringent. Chipanga was reported to be a full-time farmer in Makoni District in Manicaland Province.

Further Reading

References