ZANU-PF backs bid to extend President Mnangagwa’s term to 2030

Zuko Komisa

ZANU-PF has endorsed a resolution to amend the constitution and extend President Mnangagwa’s term by two years, allowing him to rule until 2030.
The mandate was approved at the party’s annual conference in Mutare, with the Justice Minister confirming instructions to draft the necessary amendments.
The move faces immediate opposition and legal resistance but is likely to succeed given ZANU-PF’s strong parliamentary majority.

Zimbabwe’s governing ZANU-PF party has formally backed a controversial plan to keep President Emmerson Mnangagwa in office for an additional two years, effectively extending his mandate until 2030.

The move, solidified during the party’s annual national conference in Mutare, has immediately sparked internal rifts and prompted threats of a fierce legal challenge from the opposition.

The resolution, which necessitates an amendment to the constitution, was confirmed by Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi. He stated that party delegates had explicitly mandated the government to begin the process of drafting the necessary constitutional changes.

Under the current legal framework, the 83-year-old President Mnangagwa is scheduled to step down in 2028 upon the completion of his second and final term.

However, the ZANU-PF’s strong majority in Parliament lends significant weight to the proposal, meaning it stands a strong chance of being passed into law. The opposition, meanwhile, has vowed to mount a vigorous legal resistance, suggesting the move will deepen the political divisions already present in the country.