Former ZANU PF Chief Executive Officer and Politburo member Obert Mpofu has reportedly scaled back his public involvement in the ruling party following his reassignment last year.
In September 2025, President Emmerson Mnangagwa reshuffled the ZANU-PF Politburo, removing Mpofu from the powerful post of Secretary-General and reassigning him to the less influential role of Secretary for Information and Communication Technology. The move was widely viewed by political analysts as a demotionAs part of the changes, Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda took over as ZANU-PF secretary-general, while former Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa was appointed party treasurer.
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi assumed the role of legal secretary.
Once a Cabinet minister and a key power broker within the party, Mpofu has since kept a notably low profile.
Senior ZANU PF officials say he has largely remained in Bulawayo and has not been regularly attending duties at party headquarters in Harare, despite repeated attempts to draw him back into active engagement.When contacted this week, Mpofu declined to comment in detail on the matter. ZANU PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa said he was out of the country and unavailable to respond, while the party’s director of information, Farai Marapira, did not reply to questions that were sent to him by The Independent.Sources within the party say ZANU-PF has on at least two occasions sent emissaries to Bulawayo in an effort to re-engage Mpofu, but these attempts were unsuccessful.A further effort last Friday, involving senior party directors, reportedly also failed, with Mpofu reportedly complaining of being treated unfairly and expressing no interest in renewed engagement.
Mpofu’s reduced visibility represents a sharp reversal for a figure who once controlled the party’s organisational machinery and wielded significant influence within both ZANU PF and the state.
He is also reported to have refused to speak directly to President Mnangagwa, allegedly saying that what was done to him had closed that chapter.
Such a refusal to engage privately is highly unusual in a political culture that places a premium on loyalty, hierarchy, and deference. Said an unnamed ZANU PF official:
“Mpofu feels humiliated. He believes the way he was removed was disrespectful, and that no attempt was made to resolve issues internally before discarding him.”
Mpofu served in Cabinet under both the late former president Robert Mugabe and President Mnangagwa, holding several key portfolios, including Home Affairs, Transport and Communications, and Mines and Mining Development.Veteran ZANU PF politician and Politburo member Obert Mpofu has reportedly scaled back his public involvement in the ruling party following his reassignment last year.
