Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF party has moved to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term in office to the year 2030. The controversial decision, adopted over the weekend, has ignited a storm of criticism from opposition figures and civic groups, who are calling the move unconstitutional.
At the party’s annual conference on Saturday, delegates overwhelmingly endorsed a motion to amend the national constitution — effectively adding two more years to President Mnangagwa’s current term, which is due to end in 2028.
If passed, the amendment would allow the 83-year-old leader to remain in power until 2030.
Justice Minister and ZANU-PF legal secretary Ziyambi Ziyambi told party members that the resolution was intended to ensure what he called “continuity, stability, and the sustained transformation of the nation.”
Ziyambi instructed both the party and government to begin drafting legislative changes to put the motion into effect.
However, critics say the move threatens Zimbabwe’s constitutional democracy.
Opposition leader Jameson Timba accused the ruling party of undermining the rule of law, saying, “We are a constitutional democracy, and the supremacy of the Constitution must remain non-negotiable.”
Timba also urged the Speaker of Parliament and the Justice Minister to publicly clarify the legality of the proposed amendment, calling on citizens to remain vigilant and peaceful in defending constitutional order.
President Mnangagwa, who seized power in a 2017 military coup that ended the decades-long rule of Robert Mugabe, has previously claimed he does not intend to cling to power.
But Saturday’s resolution has deepened divisions within ZANU-PF itself, where a long-simmering rivalry with former army general and Vice President Constantino Chiwenga continues to shape the party’s internal dynamics.
Job Sikhala, facilitator of the National Democratic Working Group, told SNEWS TV that the move represents, in his words, “a huge provocation by a political party whose mode of operation has always been predatory.”
He added that the decision would test the resolve of Zimbabwe’s pro-democracy forces in the coming months.
ZANU-PF has ruled Zimbabwe since independence from Britain in 1980 and still holds a strong majority in parliament — enough to push through constitutional changes if it chooses.
Analysts say the coming debate over Mnangagwa’s extended term could define Zimbabwe’s political trajectory for years to come.
That’s our report on this developing story. Stay tuned to SNEWS TV for continuing coverage and expert analysis on the constitutional debate unfolding in Zimbabwe.
Reporting by Ehud Jones.
