Thandiwe Zulu

President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s nephew and former MP Pearson Mbalekwa (pictured) has spoken about his expulsion from Zanu PF over his opposition to his uncle's contentious bid to extend his tenure by two years from 2028 to 2030. Following two Zanu PF resolutions to extend Mnangagwa’s rule by two more years, government initiated constitutional amendments ushering a raft of political, electoral and governance architecture changes to facilitate his 2030 term elongation, among other things. Government says it is making the changes to ensure political stability, end electoral toxicity and secure development projects, but opposition and civil society have rejected that as unconstitutional. Mbalekwa joined the movement opposing the constitutional amendments and Mnangagwa’s plan. This landed him in trouble. He was initially accused of breaking ranks in December 2024, suspended from ruling party activities and summoned to a disciplinary hearing in February last year. Eventually Mbalekwa was expelled from Zanu PF yesterday. Mbalekwa told The NewsHawks: "I haven't received the letter of expulsion yet, I just saw some reports on social media. It has been long coming. They have been on my neck for a long time. I was charged two years for refusing to support the 2030 agenda. I have never supported 2030, I still don't and will never do so under any circumstances. It's unconstitutional and it's only meant to benefit a few. It doesn't benefit the ordinary people, just a small clique, Zviganandas, around the President. If it does benefit the people as they claim, then let's take it to the people for approval through a referendum. The truth is that the 2030 agenda is unconstitutional, illegal and only benefits corrupt criminal elements around the President." Mbalekwa, who has a military and intelligence background, was until 2023 close to Mnangagwa, having worked with him for 43 years. They are relatives and lived together in Zambia during the liberation struggle when Mbalekwa worked in the Zambian army. They then worked together when Mnangagwa was State Security minister between 1980 and 1988, while he was at the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) where he spent over a decade. Mbalekwa also worked at Zimbabwe's diplomatic missions, including in Kenya and Mozambique. From CIO and foreign missions, Mbalekwa joined politics and became an MP for Zvishavane and Zanu PF Central Committee member. During the Tsholotsho Declaration political storm at the height of the latw former president Robert Mugabe's succession battle, Mbalekwa firmly stood with Mnangagwa and was prepared to join him when he wanted form a breakaway political party, UPM. After the Tsholotsho Declaration political turmoil and its aftermath characterised by political purges, Mbalekwa resigned from Zanu PF in 2005 in protest against Operation Murambatsvina (Drive Out Trash), calling government’s mass demolition of urban shacks campaign "callous and inhumane." He was subsequently regarded as expelled after demanding Mugabe step down. Mbalekwa then joined the main then opposition MDC-T party in 2007 and rose to become its National Chief Security Advisor to its founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai. Mbalekwa resigned from the MDC-T in 2013, citing deep-seated distrust from opposition officials who questioned his true loyalties given his CIO background. Following the November 2017 military coup that brought his uncle, Mnangagwa, to power, he rejoined Zanu PF. Mbalekwa was appointed private security adviser to Mnangagwa. He was also appointed head of investigations for the Special Anti-Corruption Unit in the President's office, but later resigned, accusing government officials of protecting politically connected corrupt individuals from prosecution. From there it was downhill until his last meeting with Mnangagwa in May 2023 when they last met and spoke. After that Mbalekwa opposed Mnangagwa’s 2030 agenda, leading to his suspension, disciplinary process and eventual expulsion.