ZANU PF’S CONSTITUTIONAL COUP: MNANGAGWA PLANS TO CLING TO POWER TILL 2030

Zanu PF has once again proven that it is not a political party guided by principle, but a machine of greed, fear, and self-preservation. At its recent annual conference in Mutare, the party passed a shocking resolution to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term of office beyond his constitutional limit. According to Ziyambi Ziyambi, the party’s legal affairs secretary, Mnangagwa’s second and final term, which is supposed to end in 2028, will now be extended to 2030. This is nothing short of a constitutional coup.

Behind the scenes, the party has already instructed Ziyambi to begin the process of amending the constitution within a year. This move comes amid an escalating internal war between Mnangagwa and his deputy Constantino Chiwenga, who is said to be firmly opposed to this brazen attempt to cling to power. The move has been described by civil society groups, legal experts, and opposition parties as unconstitutional and dangerous. Some legal minds have stated clearly that such a change requires not one, but two national referenda. But that route is being avoided by Zanu PF at all costs — because they know the people would reject it.

What is playing out in Zimbabwe is part of a broader and troubling pattern across the African continent. Term limits are under siege. From Rwanda to Ivory Coast, from Togo to Cameroon, authoritarian leaders are dismantling democratic safeguards under the guise of continuity and reform. They are using the language of democracy to destroy it. In Togo and Equatorial Guinea, leaders have gone as far as changing entire political systems to extend their grip on power. The same script is now being played out in Harare.

For Mnangagwa, this is the ultimate betrayal. He came into power in 2017 on the back of a military coup, preaching renewal after Robert Mugabe’s disastrous 37-year reign. He promised reforms, economic recovery, and most of all, a commitment to constitutionalism. Now he is doing exactly what Mugabe did — only worse. He is trying to erase the very term limits Zimbabwe fought so hard to achieve in the 2013 constitution.

It is clear why Mnangagwa wants to stay. After 45 years in government — first as a minister and now president — he wants to continue enjoying the trappings of office, shielding himself and his inner circle from accountability. He wants to die in office, just like Mugabe. And he is willing to drag Zimbabwe into further chaos to achieve that goal. This has nothing to do with stability or continuity; it is about fear, selfishness, and survival.

The most tragic part is that ordinary Zimbabweans, like most Africans, want term limits. According to Afrobarometer, over 75% of Africans support them. Term limits create space for democracy to flourish, for leaders to be changed peacefully, and for accountability to take root. But leaders like Mnangagwa reject this. To them, power is not a mandate; it’s a birthright.

What Zanu PF is attempting is not politics. It is a blatant subversion of the constitution — a slap in the face of every Zimbabwean who believes in democracy. If Mnangagwa and his loyalists succeed in amending the constitution for their selfish benefit, they will not only destroy the last pretence of legality in Zimbabwe — they may well destroy the country’s future.

This is not just about 2028 or 2030. It is about whether Zimbabweans are prepared to be ruled forever by men who fear the ballot box and cling to power like parasites. We cannot afford to let history repeat itself. Mnangagwa must go in 2028 — no ifs, no buts. The constitution must stand.