Zimbabwe’s ruling party, ZANU-PF, has formally directed its party structures and the government to enact measures that would extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s tenure by two years, moving his projected departure from 2028 to 2030.
The directive was issued during the 22nd ZANU-PF Annual People’s Conference held in Mutare. The party resolved that “the necessary legal, constitutional, and administrative measures” must be established to ensure the term extension is “fully implemented.” According to the resolution, these changes must be operationalized by the time of the party’s next conference.
This move sets the stage for a significant constitutional and political battle. President Mnangagwa, 83, is constitutionally mandated to leave office in 2028 after serving two elected terms. The proposed extension, pushed by his loyalists, is currently unconstitutional.
Legal experts have indicated that altering the presidential term limits would be a complex process, likely requiring a series of referendums to amend the national charter, presenting a major challenge for the administration.
While President Mnangagwa has previously vowed to “abide by the laws of the land” and step down at the end of his second term, he has not publicly rejected his party’s latest push to extend his mandate.
Addressing the conference, Mnangagwa spoke of the sacrifices made by past liberation heroes, framing the party’s long-term goals in historical terms. He invoked the legacy of the late General Josiah Magama Tongogara, a commander in the liberation war.
“They fought for the future, not for themselves,” Mnangagwa stated. “Vision 2030 therefore must be understood in the same light as a party and national covenant. It is about the Zimbabwe we will be with to the generations to come.”
The push for a term extension underscores the ruling party’s determination to retain power, framing it as a continuation of the nation’s liberation struggle, even as it navigates the considerable legal hurdles such a change would require.
