Mnangagwa dangles landas MP loyalty ‘bait’

Zimbabwean president Emmerson Mnangagwa’s bid to extend his rule to 2030 has taken a dramatic turn.

This comes after revelations that both Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF) and Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) members of parliament (MPs) have been allocated residential stands by the government – raising serious allegations of bribery and political coercion.

According to a press statement issued by the Zimbabwean ministry of local government and public works on 9 April, at least 70 residential stands were disbursed across three key locations: Killarney in Goromonzi (15), Penrose in Zvimba (15), and Mabelreign in Harare (40).

The ministry insists the move is a continuation of a non-monetary benefit programme dating back to the eighth parliament, meant to ‘empower’ MPs and lessen accommodation burdens.

“The ministry of local government and public works in 2013 partnered with the parliament of Zimbabwe to make residential stands available . . . This facility is a once-off entitlement … part of their conditions of service,” the ministry said.

However, the timing of the allocations – just weeks before a planned vote on a controversial constitutional amendment that would allow Mnangagwa to run for a third term beyond 2028 – has triggered widespread suspicion that the stands are being used to buy votes.

Inside sources within Zanu-PF told Daily News that internal resistance to Mnangagwa’s succession plans remains strong, with some senior MPs wary of violating the constitutional two-term limit.

“They are trying to silence dissent through perks and perks alone,” says a senior Zanu-PF legislator, who declined to be named.
“The party is deeply divided, and this latest move could backfire.”

The CCC has yet to issue an official statement, but a party insider described the allocations as “a clear act of inducement” that compromises parliamentary independence.

The opposition has consistently opposed Mnangagwa’s alleged push for lifetime leadership, warning that such manoeuvres undermine democracy.

The government maintains there is “nothing untoward” about the allocations. Yet the optics suggest a calculated move to win loyalty in the parliament.

“Implementation of programmes aimed at providing housing to targeted communities is being done in fulfilment of provisions contained in the constitution of Zimbabwe,” the local government ministry added, attempting to distance the allocations from political motivations.

To date, the parliament has received over 263 stands, including 188 at Goromonzi, 49 in Bulawayo, 12 at Chiredzi, nine at Kadoma, and five at Beitbridge. While the initiative is not new, analysts say the sudden acceleration of stand allocations at such a politically sensitive time cannot be ignored.

Zimbabwe’s political temperature is rising as the ruling party weighs its next move.

With the parliament expected to sit later this month to debate the amendment, the focus will be on whether the ‘empowered’ MPs will toe the line or resist.