The Return of the Steward: Didymus Mutasa Elevated to ZANU-PF Elders’ Council

Exterior of the ZANU-PF party headquarters in Harare

Harare, Zimbabwe- In a significant move toward internal party consolidation, former ZANU-PF Secretary for Administration Didymus Mutasa has been officially appointed to the party’s Elders’ Council. The announcement, made by party spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa on Wednesday, marks the final stage of Mutasa’s rehabilitation after years on the political sidelines.

Mutasa, a towering figure of the liberation struggle and Zimbabwe’s first Speaker of Parliament, was famously expelled in 2015 during the factional battles of the late Robert Mugabe’s era. His elevation is being framed by the leadership as part of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s "open-door policy" for veteran revolutionaries.

Speaking at the ZANU-PF headquarters in Harare, Mutsvangwa emphasized that political disagreements of the past should not erase a lifetime of service to the revolution.

• The Justification: Consideration of Mutasa’s extensive history, including his leadership during the armed struggle and his role as a founding administrative pillar of the independent state.

• The Reconciliation Quote: "We might have argued here and there, but that does not separate us... One of the stewards of the Zimbabwe revolution who has been on the margins has been brought back," Mutsvangwa stated.

Didymus Mutasa’s career spans the pre-independence cooperative movement to the highest echelons of the Politburo.

Era	Key Role / Achievement
Pre-1980	Chairman of the non-racial Cold Comfort Farm Society.
1980 – 1990	First Speaker of Parliament of an independent Zimbabwe.
Post-Independence	MP for Makoni North, Politburo Member, and Secretary for Administration.
2015 – 2018	Expelled and subsequently readmitted under the Second Republic.

The Elders' Council serves as a high-level advisory body within ZANU-PF, tasked with providing historical perspective and mediating internal disputes. By bringing Mutasa into this fold, the party aims to project a united front of "liberation heritage" ahead of upcoming political cycles, ensuring that the institutional memory of the "old guard" is preserved and utilized.

Didymus Mutasa ZANU-PF Elders Council