Zimbabwe’s ZANU-PF Pushes Term Extension to 2030 For Mnangagwa

Zimbabwe’s ruling party, the ZANU-PF (Zimbabwe African National Union–Patriotic Front), has endorsed a controversial plan to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s stay in power by two more years, allowing him to remain in office until 2030.

Announcing the decision on October 18 during the party’s 22nd Annual National People’s Conference in Gweru, Ziyambi Ziyambi, ZANU-PF’s secretary for legal affairs, declared: “It is resolved that his term of office as President of the Republic of Zimbabwe be extended beyond 2028 to 2030.”

Mnangagwa, 83, has ruled the southern African nation since November 2017, when he assumed power after a military coup ended Robert Mugabe’s 37-year rule. He was first elected in 2018 and secured a second term in 2023, which, under Zimbabwe’s 2013 Constitution, should be his last. The constitution restricts presidents to two five-year terms, meaning Mnangagwa’s tenure should end in 2028 unless the charter is amended.

The proposal has drawn immediate outrage from opposition parties and civil society groups, who view it as a blatant attempt to entrench authoritarian rule. Former Finance Minister and prominent opposition figure Tendai Biti condemned the move, saying, “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 controversy comes as Zimbabwe grapples with a deepening economic crisis. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates that growth slowed sharply to 1.7% in 2024, hurt by a devastating drought that crippled agricultural production and reduced hydroelectric power generation. The government’s introduction of the gold-backed Zimbabwe Gold (ZIG) currency earlier this year has done little to stabilize the economy, as exchange rate distortions and inflationary pressures persist. The IMF projects a rebound to 6% growth in 2025, buoyed by improved rainfall, higher global gold prices, and remittance inflows from the Zimbabwean diaspora. Yet, the outlook remains precarious, with mounting fiscal pressures, low investor confidence, and fears that political instability and constitutional manipulation could further undermine recovery efforts.

Mnangagwa’s supporters argue that extending his term will ensure continuity and stability, while critics warn it risks returning Zimbabwe to the one-man rule that defined the Mugabe era.