Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF party has revealed plans to keep President Emmerson Mnangagwa in office beyond his current mandate, moving to extend his rule by two more years. This change could see the 83-year-old leader remain in power until 2030.
Although the Constitution limits presidents to two five-year terms, Mnangagwa’s supporters are pushing for an amendment that would alter those provisions. The proposal, endorsed at the party’s annual conference in Mutare, calls on the government to “initiate the requisite legislative amendments” to formalize the extension, Justice Minister and ZANU-PF legal secretary Ziyambi Ziyambi announced.
Delegates reportedly applauded enthusiastically as the motion passed. With ZANU-PF maintaining a strong parliamentary majority, the measure could easily advance, though legal scholars such as lecturer Lovemore Madhuku caution that changing term limits may require two national referendums.
Mnangagwa has often portrayed himself as a “constitutionalist,” insisting he would not overstay his term. Nonetheless, factions loyal to him have lobbied for his continued leadership until 2030. Those aligned with Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, the former general who led the 2017 coup that toppled Robert Mugabe, are said to oppose the plan.
Blessed Geza, a veteran of the 1970s liberation war and one of Chiwenga’s vocal allies, has criticized the move through YouTube broadcasts that attract thousands of views. Despite his appeals for demonstrations, public response has been limited amid a heavy police presence.
Mnangagwa avoided mentioning the term-extension proposal in his closing remarks, while Chiwenga has so far remained silent. The push follows a pattern seen in other African nations where leaders amended laws to stay in power longer.
