MNANGAGWA WANTS MORE POWER AS ZANU PF PUSHES 2030 PLAN

Zanu PF is once again showing that it does not care about the people of Zimbabwe or the constitution. Ten provinces of the party have now agreed to support a plan that will push President Emmerson Mnangagwa to stay in power until 2030. This move is meant to make the resolutions from the Bulawayo annual conference last year a reality. That conference had already decided that Mnangagwa should continue to lead even after his second term ends in 2028. Now they want to make it official at the next convention in Mutare.

This decision is not just about extending years. It is about power. The constitution of Zimbabwe clearly says that a president can only serve two terms. Mnangagwa has already served his first term and is now in his second one. His time should end in 2028. But by pushing for the 2030 plan, Zanu PF is saying that laws do not matter. They are saying only their wishes matter. This is a direct attack on democracy. It is also a betrayal of the liberation struggle that many people died for.

Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga is at the centre of this drama. He is the man who helped bring Mnangagwa to power after the coup that removed Robert Mugabe in 2017. Many thought that Chiwenga would one day take over after Mnangagwa. But this new plan changes everything. Chiwenga and his team must now decide if they will support Mnangagwa’s 2030 dream, resist it quietly, or openly fight against it. Whatever choice he makes will change Zanu PF politics and also the future of Zimbabwe.

The Mutare convention will therefore be more than just a party meeting. It will be a battlefield. On one side will be Mnangagwa and his loyal supporters who want him to rule until 2030. On the other side will be those who believe in the constitution or those who simply want a chance at power, like Chiwenga. What Chiwenga does in Mutare and after the convention will show if he is strong enough to challenge Mnangagwa or if he will just bend and agree.

For the people of Zimbabwe, this is not just about a fight between two powerful men. It is about whether our voices and our rights mean anything. If Mnangagwa can just change the rules to stay longer, then it means elections are a game with no meaning. It means the constitution is just paper with no value. It means we are heading back to the dark days of endless rule, like what happened with Mugabe.

The sad thing is that ordinary people are suffering while these leaders play games with power. There is no food in many homes, no jobs for the youth, no proper hospitals, and no freedom of speech. Yet Zanu PF spends its time talking about how Mnangagwa can stay longer. They do not care that people are leaving the country in large numbers because life here is impossible. They only care about protecting themselves and their wealth.

Chiwenga must know that if he bows to Mnangagwa, then he has no future. But if he resists, it could open a fight that shakes Zanu PF to its core. Some say he will keep quiet and play along for now, waiting for his chance later. Others say he is ready to push back. Nobody knows for sure. What is clear is that the Mutare convention will be a big test for him and for the whole country.

Zimbabwe does not need another extension of dictatorship. We need leaders who respect the constitution. We need leaders who put the people first. If Mnangagwa stays until 2030, then it will not just be about him winning. It will be about the people losing hope once again.