The controversial “ED2030” campaign, pushing for President Emmerson Mnangagwa to remain in power beyond his constitutional term limit, appears to be losing traction, facing significant opposition from within Zanu-PF, particularly from the military and war veterans. This was strikingly evident at the burial of national hero, Colonel (rtd) Tshinga Dube, last week.
At the Heroes Acre ceremony, Zanu-PF youths, as is customary, displayed placards promoting the ED2030 agenda. However, soldiers present intervened, instructing the youths to cease displaying the placards, The Standard has reported.
“What happened at the Heroes Acre at Dube’s burial is unusual, but it could be an indication that the 2030 campaign is making some people uncomfortable,” observed a Zanu-PF official from Harare province.
This incident reflects a growing unease within the party and security establishment regarding the campaign. A senior Zanu-PF official attributed the campaign’s waning support to strong opposition from within, especially among securocrats.
“We wait to see what will happen at the conference in Bulawayo very soon. However, my assessment is that it has lost steam because it was rejected by the securocrats,” the official stated.
In pointed remarks at the burial of fellow war hero Killion Dube on September 1st, 2024, about a month before his own death, Dube stated, “There are various opinions on the succession issue. Most of the members in the party have said he should hang on to power, but he has said that he will follow the Constitution. We have not heard him saying he wants to cling on to power beyond his term of office, but we should know that while men propose, God disposes.”
Dube further expressed reservations about the advice Mnangagwa was receiving, suggesting that some advisors were driven by self-interest.
War veterans, a key Zanu-PF constituency, are also increasingly vocal in their opposition. The Bulawayo war veterans association, through its provincial executive chairperson Dominic Mhlanga and secretary Mathias Mbambo, issued a statement last week condemning the 2030 agenda.
“It badly affects the value of our pluralism,” the statement read as it accused those behind the campaign of pursuing selfish interests.
“It is of paramount importance that these rogue elements be told that tampering with the constitution of the country is equal to tampering with the fundamentals of our liberation struggle.”
The statement urged Zimbabweans to unite against constitutional tampering and stressed that personal ambitions should not supersede national interests.
“The residential term extension debate must be put to rest. It boggles the mind to find some individuals advocating for the change of the constitution, which will further plunder national resources that may be directed to the welfare of all Zimbabweans.”
There are divisions within the war veterans’ ranks themselves, with three factions led by Christopher Mutsvangwa, Moffat Marashwa, and Andrease Mathibela. The Mathibela camp has openly opposed the 2030 agenda, pledging to mobilise against any attempts to extend Mnangagwa’s term beyond constitutional limits.
The campaign to extend Mnangagwa’s rule is also seen by some as an attempt to pre-empt Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s presidential ambitions. Sources within Zanu-PF suggest that provinces are being pressured to pass resolutions endorsing Mnangagwa’s continued rule until 2030.
“We are very aware that all provinces in its resolutions are going to endorse President Emmerson Mnangagwa to stay in power until 2030. This will kick-start the process of the tempering of the national constitution through Parliament then the rest will follow,” a source revealed.
This orchestrated effort aims to force the party’s legal team to initiate constitutional amendment processes through Parliament.
Despite this concerted effort, Mnangagwa has publicly distanced himself from the term extension campaign on three separate occasions this year, insisting that he will retire in 2028. However, the persistent “2030 VaMnangagwa vanenge vachipo” (2030 Mnangagwa will still be ruling) slogan, promoted by loyalists like former State Security minister Owen Ncube, fuels speculation about his true intentions.
A military insider, speaking anonymously, confirmed the army’s firm stance: “The army’s stance is unequivocal. The President is required to complete his constitutional second term and retire in 2028. From a military perspective, he should not have even been eligible for a second term. Although he publicly agrees to retire in 2028, he is privately signaling his supporters to push for a constitutional amendment to extend his term until 2030. This proposal is unpopular among the security forces and the general public, with only a few self-interested individuals supporting it.”
The clear opposition from the military, coupled with the vocal dissent from war veterans and the apparent waning support within Zanu-PF itself, suggests that the ED2030 campaign faces a significant uphill battle. The upcoming Zanu-PF conference in Bulawayo will be a crucial test of the campaign’s strength and the extent of the opposition it faces.
