NEWS & POLITICS
Zimbabwe’s ZANU-PF seeks to extend President Mnangagwa’s term to 2030, defying constitutional limits
Zimbabwe’s ruling party, ZANU-PF, has launched a controversial campaign to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s rule beyond his constitutional term, directing the government to enact the proposal into law within a year.
Enos Denhere
Mutare, Zimbabwe — October 18 (Running Africa) — The resolution, approved on Saturday during ZANU-PF’s annual convention in Mutare, drew thunderous applause from hundreds of delegates in attendance. The ruling party, which has held power since Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980, said the motion reflects its “confidence in the President’s leadership.”
According to The Herald, Ziyambi Ziyambi, the party’s secretary for legal affairs, confirmed that delegates resolved to extend Mnangagwa’s term from 2028 to 2030, leaving the government to finalize the legal framework for implementation.
However, the move has sparked constitutional backlash. Speaking to the BBC, constitutional law expert Professor Lovemore Madhuku argued that the proposal would violate Zimbabwe’s 2013 Constitution, which limits presidents to two five-year terms. Madhuku stressed that Parliament cannot alter this clause without a national referendum, making the proposed extension “unconstitutional.”
President Mnangagwa, 82, is currently serving his second and final term, having taken office after the November 2017 ouster of longtime ruler Robert Mugabe. He later secured victory in the contested 2018 and 2023 elections, both marred by allegations of electoral fraud.
While Mnangagwa has previously claimed to be a “constitutionalist” with no desire to overstay in power, divisions are deepening within ZANU-PF. Factions aligned with Vice President Constantino Chiwenga are openly resisting the proposal, while Mnangagwa loyalists quietly push for it behind the scenes.
During his closing remarks at the Mutare conference, Mnangagwa made no mention of the proposed extension, and Chiwenga has remained silent amid growing political tension.
Analysts quoted by local media outlets including NewsDay and The Standard suggest the push to extend Mnangagwa’s term may be a strategic maneuver to delay an internal power transition and consolidate control within the ruling elite.
