Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF party has resolved to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term by two years, which could keep him in power until 2030. The plan, endorsed at the party’s annual conference, instructs the government to draft a constitutional amendment to facilitate the change. Mnangagwa, who is constitutionally mandated to leave office in 2028, has previously called himself a “constitutionalist.”
The move has been labeled unlawful by the opposition, which promises legal challenges. It has also exposed a deepening power struggle within ZANU-PF, with one faction loyal to Mnangagwa and another aligned with Vice President Constantino Chiwenga resisting the extension.
This political maneuvering occurs against a backdrop of severe economic crisis and allegations of authoritarian rule. Critics accuse the government of crushing dissent, with recent arrests of activists planning protests. Mnangagwa came to power in 2017 promising reform after Robert Mugabe’s ouster, but his tenure has been marked by hyperinflation, unemployment, and continued political strife.
