Harare – The political landscape in Zimbabwe is heating up as the ruling Zanu PF party’s push for President Emmerson Mnangagwa to stay in power beyond 2028 has ignited a fierce backlash from the opposition and sparked a wave of uncertainty within the party itself.
The controversy began last weekend when Zanu PF provinces held meetings to formulate resolutions for the upcoming national conference in Bulawayo in October. One of the key resolutions, aimed at the conference, was a push to amend the country’s Constitution to allow President Mnangagwa to rule beyond his constitutionally mandated two terms, which end in 2028.
Despite Mnangagwa’s public pronouncements that he has no intention of seeking to extend his reign, the push for his continued leadership has sparked a firestorm of opposition.
The Citizens for Coalition Change (CCC) party, a key opposition force, has vowed to launch an anti-Constitution amendment campaign to thwart the move, Newsday has reported.
“We are totally opposed to the amendment of the Constitution. It is undemocratic and against the spirit of constitutionalism. In any event, any amendment to the Constitution will require a referendum and the citizens are ready to embarrass them,” said CCC spokesperson Promise Mkwananzi.
“We will be launching a campaign against term extension,” Mkwananzi added. “We want political and electoral reforms instead of these self-interested amendments which we believe even people in Zanu-PF are totally opposed to.”
The CCC’s stance is echoed by other opposition groups and civil society organisations. The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition has pledged to exhaust all legal channels to stop Zanu PF from amending the Constitution.
“The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition remains committed to the democratic transformation of our country,” the organisation said.
“We will exhaust all legal channels and peaceful means to resist the power-hungry agenda and ensure a Zimbabwe where the will of the people is supreme.”
The push for Mnangagwa’s continued leadership has also sparked a power struggle within Zanu PF, pitting the President against his own Vice President, Constantino Chiwenga. While Mnangagwa’s supporters have been chanting slogans indicating his continued rule until 2030, Chiwenga has openly challenged this campaign, stressing that loyalty should lie with the party and the people of Zimbabwe, not with individual leaders.
His comments have been interpreted as a direct challenge to Mnangagwa’s intensifying “ED2030” campaign. Mnangagwa and Chiwenga are reportedly engaged in a fierce power struggle over ZANU PF’s unresolved leadership and succession issues, which have intensified as the former attempts to extend his rule beyond the 2028 constitutional term limit to 2030.
The push for Mnangagwa’s continued leadership comes despite his unequivocal statement that he would leave office at the end of his constitutionally-mandated two terms in 2028. It has also emerged that some provincial party members have openly refused to chant the ‘ED 2030’ slogan, arguing that they should not be forced into demonstrating loyalty to a leader who has indicated that he wants to leave office when his tenure comes to an end in 2028.
The legal implications of amending the Constitution to allow Mnangagwa to run for a third term are complex and require significant changes to the existing legal framework. According to Veritas, a legal think-tank, the most straightforward approach would be to amend section 91 of the Constitution, but this would require a strict legislative process, including public input and a two-thirds majority in both the National Assembly and the Senate.
However, even if section 91 were successfully amended, a significant obstacle remains in section 328(7) of the Constitution, which specifically prevents current office holders, including presidents, from benefiting from changes to term-limit provisions. This means that even if section 91 is amended, the changes will not apply to Mnangagwa, making him ineligible for a third term unless section 328(7) itself is amended or repealed.
The push for “ED2030” has sparked a power struggle within Zanu PF, pitting President Mnangagwa against his own Vice President, Constantino Chiwenga. While Mnangagwa’s supporters have been chanting slogans indicating his continued rule until 2030, Chiwenga has openly challenged this campaign, stressing that loyalty should lie with the party and the people of Zimbabwe, not with individual leaders.
His comments have been interpreted as a direct challenge to Mnangagwa’s intensifying “ED2030” campaign. Mnangagwa and Chiwenga are reportedly engaged in a fierce power struggle over ZANU PF’s unresolved leadership and succession issues, which have intensified as the former attempts to extend his rule beyond the 2028 constitutional term limit to 2030.
It was reported that the ruling party’s chairpersons fear attracting the wrath of Mnangagwa’s successor. According to the source, party members have found themselves in a quandary over the ‘ED 2030’ slogan, which signifies support for Mnangagwa’s push to remain in power until 2030.
The push comes despite Mnangagwa unequivocally stating that he would leave office at the end of his constitutionally-mandated two terms in 2028. It also emerged that some provincial party members have openly refused to chant the ‘ED 2030’ slogan, arguing that they should not be forced into demonstrating loyalty to a leader who has indicated that he wants to leave office when his tenure comes to an end in 2028.
