A simmering discontent is brewing within Zanu-PF regarding President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ambition to extend his tenure beyond 2028.
While the party officially resolved at its October 2023 Bulawayo conference to amend the constitution to allow Mnangagwa to remain in power until 2030, provincial structures are increasingly distancing themselves from this controversial decision.
This move comes despite assurances from Zanu-PF secretary for legal affairs, Patrick Chinamasa, who revealed that President Mnangagwa had personally stated on three separate occasions his disinterest in prolonging his presidency. Chinamasa also cautioned against the practical challenges of implementing such a constitutional amendment, highlighting the complexities involved in removing presidential term limits.
Despite these reservations, Mnangagwa’s loyalists are actively promoting the “2030 agenda,” with Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi confirming his ministry’s readiness to undertake the necessary constitutional amendments.
Bikita South MP, Energy Mutodi, a long-standing ally of the President, openly admitted to proposing a parliamentary motion to extend Mnangagwa’s term by two years, a proposal that also includes extending the current Parliament’s lifespan by a similar period.
However, the push for Mnangagwa’s extended term is not without its critics within the ruling party. An audio recording obtained by The Standard features a Mashonaland Central politburo member expressing serious concerns about the escalating campaign. The official warns of a potential repeat of the 2017 events, when the army intervened in the succession battle following the ousting of long-time President Robert Mugabe.
The senior Zanu-PF official, whose voice is heard in the recording, cautions, “The issue of G40 came and you all know what happened and I tell you this is how it starts, if you see people start bootlicking like what is happening. There is no district that I don’t know; I know all 101 political districts here. I tell you that everything which is happening, there is no day that people were asked to pen down resolutions that they want the president to rule until 2030.
This internal opposition contrasts sharply with the official party line. Zanu-PF director for information, Farai Marapira, insisted in an interview with The Standard that all party members are expected to support the resolution extending Mnangagwa’s rule.
He stated, “As a party, we came together at the conference in October 2023 and the party agreed to the extension of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s rule to 2030. And there we have not received any report against the resolution. Party members came together and agreed on the resolution.”
Despite his public stance against extending his term, Mnangagwa has not actively discouraged his loyalists from publicly supporting the 2030 campaign, often allowing them to chant slogans in his presence advocating for his continued rule. This inaction fuels speculation about his true intentions and the dynamics within the ruling party.
Political commentator Farai Maguwu offered a cynical perspective, describing the “2030ists” as opportunists, stating, “We want God to bless him and have an eye on people surrounding him because they don’t love him. These people are going to switch sides at the earliest convenience.”
Maguwu’s assessment draws parallels to the situation surrounding Robert Mugabe’s final years in power, where unwavering loyalty from his inner circle masked underlying self-interest.
The parallels between Mugabe’s final years and the current situation surrounding Mnangagwa are striking, with Zanu-PF insiders noting a similar pattern of public displays of loyalty from those pushing the 2030 agenda.
Interesting, a veteran Bulawayo-based preacher, Pastor Ian Ndlovu who has accurately predicted many incidents in Zimbabwe and across the globe including Mugabe’s removal from power through a military coup in 2017 has supposedly predicted that President Mnangagwa’s era is coming to an end this year.
Dr Ian Ndlovu, an Economist lecturer at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) by profession, first predicted in 2018 when his other prophecy that Mnangagwa would be declared the winner of the 2018 elections, that the Lord had given him only a prophetic one week to rule this country. While many thought a prophetic one week meant 1 election term, however, during 2023’s elections, the celebrated and very humbled preacher further predicted that Mnangagwa would again be declared the 2023 election winner.
It was only on Friday that he finally explained what he meant by ‘prophetic one week’ – which is seven years and, indeed, there are seven years between 2018 and 2025. He said what is currently happening in the political arena confirms that the prophetic one week is almost over. You can watch his full prophecy below:
