In a move that has sent ripples through Zimbabwe’s political landscape, the ruling ZANU-PF party has formally endorsed a plan to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term by two years, potentially keeping the 83-year-old leader in power until 2030. The decision, announced at the party’s annual conference in Mutare on October 18, 2025, has sparked fierce debate, drawing both celebration and condemnation from various corners of society and laying bare the deep fissures within Zimbabwe’s political establishment.
The endorsement, which came amid enthusiastic applause from party delegates, directs the government to begin drafting legislation to amend the Constitution—a move that would require significant legal maneuvering and could ultimately demand a national referendum. According to Ziyambi Ziyambi, ZANU-PF’s legal secretary and Justice Minister, “The 22nd ZANU-PF National People’s Conference unanimously resolved that the Presidential term of President Mnangagwa be extended beyond 2028. Delegates affirmed that President Mnangagwa’s visionary leadership, marked by stability, economic recovery and transformative national development, must continue to guide the nation beyond the current constitutional term limit.”
Mnangagwa, who came to power in 2017 after a military-backed coup unseated longtime ruler Robert Mugabe, is constitutionally required to step down in 2028 after serving two elected terms. The push for an extension, however, has been building for months, with factions within ZANU-PF maneuvering behind the scenes. At the conference, delegates set a deadline of October 2026—the date of the next party congress—for the government and party to implement all necessary legal, constitutional, and administrative measures to operationalize the extension.
Party spokesman Nick Mnangagwa, speaking to the press, justified the move by citing “the extensive developmental milestones and significant socio-economic progress” under the president’s tenure. The party’s resolutions also called for a raft of other measures: introducing a local mono currency, scrapping the Intermediated Money Transfer Tax (IMTT), and declaring September 15 as Munhumutapa Day in honor of Mnangagwa’s leadership. Additional resolutions addressed issues from women’s and youth empowerment to environmental protection and infrastructure modernization.
Yet, not everyone is convinced. The maneuver has exposed a growing rift within ZANU-PF itself, with some insiders—particularly those aligned with Vice President Constantino Chiwenga—openly resisting the extension. Blessed Geza, a veteran of the liberation war and a Chiwenga ally, has taken to YouTube livestreams to denounce the plan, drawing thousands of viewers and calling attention to the party’s internal power struggle. One faction is determined to keep Mnangagwa in power until 2030, while another appears to be laying the groundwork for Chiwenga, the former army general instrumental in the 2017 coup, to take over.
Outside the party, the opposition’s response has been swift and scathing. Nelson Chamisa, former leader of the Citizen Coalition for Change (CCC), declared on X (formerly Twitter), “Zanu PF resolutions bind Zanu PF and her members, not Zimbabwe and her people.” CCC interim leader Jameson Timba went further, arguing, “Zanu PF’s 2030 resolution of today is silent on how it will be done. If it means changing the Constitution, only a referendum can decide and even then, the sitting President cannot benefit. Zimbabwe is ruled by law, not party resolutions.”
Opposition lawyer Tendai Biti, also on X, promised legal resistance: “We will defend the Constitution against its capture and manipulation to advance a dangerous unconstitutional anti-people agenda. We will fight corrupt cartels and syndicates that have systematically looted Zimbabwe and now want to take over the State.” The legal community broadly concurs that any constitutional amendment to extend Mnangagwa’s term would likely face tough challenges in court and could require a national referendum.
Meanwhile, the government’s heavy-handed approach to dissent has continued. On October 17, just a day before the conference’s conclusion, ten elderly activists—most in their sixties and seventies—were arrested in Harare for allegedly planning a protest demanding Mnangagwa’s resignation. They were charged with attempting to incite public violence and remain in custody pending a bail hearing scheduled for October 20. Earlier in 2025, nearly 100 youths were detained under similar circumstances, highlighting the authorities’ ongoing crackdown on opposition voices.
Mnangagwa himself has remained publicly silent on the extension bid, making no mention of it during his closing remarks at the conference. He has previously insisted that he is a “constitutionalist” with no desire to cling to power, though loyalists have been quietly advocating for his continued rule since the disputed 2023 election. Chiwenga, for his part, has not commented on the developments or the scattered calls for protest, leaving observers to speculate about the depth and direction of the party’s internal divisions.
Since taking office, Mnangagwa has presided over a period of severe economic hardship. Zimbabwe has suffered from hyperinflation, mass unemployment, and persistent allegations of corruption and cronyism. Critics accuse ZANU-PF of turning elections into managed rituals, stifling democracy, and systematically weakening the judiciary. The party’s dominance of parliament gives it significant leverage to push through legislative changes, but the specter of legal and popular resistance looms large.
According to The Herald, the ZANU-PF conference also adopted resolutions calling for greater economic expansion, including the development of irrigation schemes, social safety nets, health sector improvements, and the local production of lithium batteries as part of an industrialization drive. The party reaffirmed its commitment to inclusive empowerment, pledging 50/50 participation of women in all sectors and expanded youth livelihood programs.
Despite these promises, the reality on the ground remains grim for many Zimbabweans. Economic reforms have yet to stem the tide of hardship, and the government’s crackdown on dissent continues to raise alarms among human rights advocates. The opposition’s warnings about constitutional manipulation and the entrenchment of power echo the concerns voiced during Robert Mugabe’s long reign, prompting fears that the country is once again veering away from democratic norms.
As the political chess game unfolds, the coming months will be critical. ZANU-PF’s control of parliament may enable it to push forward with constitutional amendments, but the process is sure to be contentious, both within the party and across Zimbabwean society. With the deadline for implementing the extension set for October 2026, the stage is set for a protracted battle over the future of the country’s leadership—and, some would argue, the very soul of Zimbabwe’s democracy.
For now, the nation watches and waits, as the fate of its highest office hangs in the balance and the echoes of past struggles resound ever louder in the present.
