Zimbabwe’s ruling party, ZANU-PF, has resolved to pursue a constitutional amendment that would extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term in office by two years, allowing him to remain in power until 2030—a decision the opposition has decried as unlawful.
The resolution, adopted at the party’s annual conference on Saturday, seeks to prolong the 83-year-old leader’s second five-year term, which is currently set to end in 2028.
Ziyambi Ziyambi, ZANU-PF’s Secretary for Legal Affairs and the country’s Minister of Justice, told delegates that the party and government had been directed to begin the necessary legislative process to “ensure continuity, stability, and sustained national transformation.”
The move comes amid reports of an internal power struggle within ZANU-PF, where Vice President and former army general Constantino Chiwenga—seen as Mnangagwa’s likely successor—has faced accusations of disloyalty and “treasonous acts.”
Opposition leaders have strongly criticized the proposed amendment, calling it a direct attack on Zimbabwe’s constitutional democracy.
Jameson Timba, a veteran opposition figure, warned that “Zimbabwe should not be governed by conference resolutions or partisan directives,” stressing that the supremacy of the Constitution “must remain non-negotiable.”
He called on the Speaker of Parliament and the Minister of Justice to clarify the legality of the resolution and urged citizens to remain vigilant in defending constitutional governance.
Mnangagwa, who came to power in a 2017 military coup that ousted longtime ruler Robert Mugabe, is constitutionally required to step down in 2028 after serving two five-year terms.
ZANU-PF, which has governed Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, maintains a dominant majority in parliament. Critics argue that the proposed extension signals a deepening authoritarian trend as the government struggles to revive the nation’s fragile economy and manage mounting debt.
Job Sikhala, coordinator of the National Democratic Working Group, described the development as “a huge provocation” to democratic forces, saying it would test the opposition’s ability to respond to “a predatory political culture.”
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Source:Africa Publicity
