Tinotenda Hove -HARARE – The recent closure of Madhadha Liquor, a prominent retail chain in Harare, has deepened suspicions of political infighting within Zanu PF, with reports suggesting the move may have been influenced by internal party rivalries.

The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) led the operation, reportedly with backing from officers in the President’s Department. Madhadha Liquor is owned by Danmore Mambondiyani, the Zanu PF Youth League deputy secretary for administration and son-in-law to former Zimbabwe National Army commander, Anselem Sanyatwe.

The liquor chain’s seven outlets were shut down without the usual option to regularise operations—raising eyebrows given standard ZIMRA procedure. The closure follows growing tensions within Zanu PF linked to succession politics, with Sanyatwe believed to back Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga in a possible 2028 presidential bid.

Mambondiyani’s businesses have come under scrutiny before. His fuel company, Liquid Cargo, previously faced allegations of distributing contaminated fuel—claims widely dismissed as lacking merit.

Insiders claim the clampdown is part of a broader campaign allegedly coordinated by Zanu PF figures aligned to Manicaland Province, aiming to sideline Sanyatwe’s allies. According to NewsDay, the operation may be tied to internal factional battles within the ruling party.

ZIMRA spokesperson Gladman Njani, responding to questions about the presence of intelligence operatives during the closures, said, “ZIMRA is bound by client confidentiality and cannot disclose specifics regarding any taxpayer.”

Businessman David Munowenyu, CEO of Discovery Ambulance Services, has also been named in the alleged plot. He is accused of bankrolling efforts to target Sanyatwe-linked businesses—claims he firmly denies.

“It’s just name-dropping. I think it’s just naivety to involve me,” Munowenyu told the daily paper.
“If ZIMRA is doing its job and closing people’s outlets for whatever reason, what has that got to do with me?
How do I get involved in the factionalism of such a big party?
I am such a small fish. I didn’t know that I had such influence to be dragged into such claims.”

As Zanu PF edges closer to a likely leadership contest, the fallout from the liquor raid has once again spotlighted the power struggles roiling the ruling party.