Zanu-PF begins process for Mnangagwa to stay in office beyond 2028

ZANU-PF structures are pushing for constitutional amendments to allow President Emmerson Mnangagwa to extend his presidency beyond 2028, when his second and final term is set to end. The proposed changes to the Constitution are expected to be a major topic at the upcoming 21st Annual People's Conference in Bulawayo, despite Mnangagwa's earlier statements that he would retire in 2028. These amendments would also impact two other ZANU-PF factions, led by Vice President Constantino Chiwenga and party spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa, who are reportedly vying to succeed the 81-year-old leader.

Once the recommendations from the People's Conference are finalized, they will be forwarded to Parliament, where ZANU-PF holds a two-thirds majority, enabling the party to push through the necessary processes to remove the current two-term limit for the presidency.

On Sunday, ZANU-PF's Harare province resolved to support constitutional amendments that would either remove the two-term limit or extend the length of each presidential term. The province argues that these changes would allow President Mnangagwa to continue leading the country and complete his infrastructural development projects.

Godwills Masimirembwa, ZANU-PF Harare provincial chairman, stated that the provincial inter-district conference was "united in the belief that President Mnangagwa should continue to lead the country beyond 2028." He acknowledged the constitutional challenges but emphasized that the party was exploring ways to overcome them, including extending the length of each term or increasing the number of terms allowed.

ZANU-PF deputy secretary for security, Tendai Chirau, echoed these sentiments, highlighting the party's strong support for Mnangagwa's leadership and his Vision 2030, which aims to transform Zimbabwe into an upper-middle-income society.

In Mashonaland West, a key region for ZANU-PF, party structures also resolved that Mnangagwa should remain in office. The main, youth, war veterans, and women's wings all cited Mnangagwa's progress on Vision 2030 projects - such as roads, bridges, boreholes, and dams - as justification for his continued presidency.

Mary Mliswa-Chikoka, ZANU-PF Mashonaland West chairman, presented the province's resolutions during a Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) meeting held in Nyabira over the weekend. These resolutions will be consolidated and presented at the People's Conference in Bulawayo, with the selection of the province's delegates already underway.