Mnangagwa losing sleep over term extension

President Emmerson Mnangagwa is reportedly having sleepless nights over mounting calls from within his own Zanu-PF party to extend his term beyond the constitutionally mandated limit of two terms, the party's national spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa revealed during a press conference on Tuesday.

Zanu-PF is currently experiencing internal tensions amid efforts by some factions to push for Mnangagwa's term extension past 2028, a move that has sparked controversy within the ruling party.

Addressing journalists at Zanu-PF headquarters, Mutsvangwa spent nearly an hour defending the president, emphasizing that Mnangagwa remains widely supported by Zimbabweans.

"What I have been explaining for the past 45 minutes is that the President is delivering on the mandate of prosperity given to him by the people of Zimbabwe. People do not vote for presidents so they can pick successors  -  that is not the business of the electorate," Mutsvangwa said.

He urged party members advocating for an early succession to be patient. "Why can't those within the party hold their horses until their time comes? There was an attempt at prematurely imposing a successor, which is unacceptable," he added.

Mutsvangwa, known for leading the campaign that removed former President Robert Mugabe in 2017, drew parallels between the current situation and past struggles to maintain constitutional order.

"Our war veterans have always acted decisively to remove rogue leaders when they stray from their constitutional mandate," he said. "When a leader tries to be bigger than the revolution, we deal with him. That is the tradition of Zanu-PF."

He criticized Mugabe's attempt to establish a dynastic succession, saying, "Mugabe sought to make his wife the ‘new queen' after his departure, undermining the constitution and the will of the people. This led the war veterans who put him in power to remove him."

In contrast, Mutsvangwa portrayed Mnangagwa as a committed constitutionalist, stressing, "There is a difference between Mnangagwa saying ‘I am a constitutionalist and follow the Constitution' and Mugabe's dynastic ambitions. Mnangagwa respects the law and is therefore safe from being ousted in the same manner."

Addressing speculation about his own political ambitions, Mutsvangwa refused to confirm whether he intends to run for the presidency but insisted any such contest would be decided at the end of Mnangagwa's current term.

"What is wrong is pushing for the President's immediate succession now, even when we are within constitutional term limits," he said, referring to unrest during the March 31 protests which he claimed sought to undermine the Constitution.

Mutsvangwa's remarks highlight ongoing divisions within Zanu-PF as the party navigates leadership succession issues ahead of the 2028 elections. For now, Mnangagwa appears resolute in his commitment to constitutional term limits despite pressure from some supporters to extend his rule.