Zanu-PF now pushes to extend Mnangagwa's presidency to 2037

Barely days after President Emmerson Mnangagwa signed the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 3) Act, 2026 into law, Zanu-PF's Harare Province has begun advocating for his continued leadership beyond 2030, with calls for him to remain party leader until 2037.

The proposal was raised during a Constitutional Amendment Act No. 3 "Thank You" rally held in Epworth over the weekend, where Zanu-PF Harare Provincial Chairperson Godwills Masimirembwa said the province would push for a resolution at the party's next conference to retain Mnangagwa as Zanu-PF leader beyond his current term.

"We still want him for an additional seven years, from 2030 to 2037. He must lead the party, that is what the party is saying," Masimirembwa said.

The remarks follow the enactment of Constitutional Amendment Act No. 3, which among other changes postpones Zimbabwe's next harmonised elections from 2028 to 2030, effectively extending the terms of the President, Parliament and local authorities by two years.

Zanu-PF has defended the amendment, arguing that the changes will provide stability and allow government to focus on implementing development programmes without the disruption associated with frequent election cycles.

However, opposition parties and civil society groups have criticised the amendment, arguing that it weakens democratic safeguards and extends the tenure of elected officials.

Masimirembwa said the province was already looking beyond 2030, arguing that Mnangagwa's leadership was necessary to complete the government's Vision 2030 development agenda.

"Constitutionally, the President will remain in office as President, Commander-in-Chief and Head of Government until 2030. He will also be able to complete Vision 2030, but for us as Harare Province, we look beyond 2030 to see what happens," he said.

He said there was growing support within the party for Mnangagwa to remain Zanu-PF First Secretary and President after 2030.

"The people are saying, ‘What happens to him beyond 2030?' So the people of Harare, as we go into resolutions for the next conference, are saying His Excellency should remain the party President and First Secretary of Zanu-PF at the 2030 congress," Masimirembwa said.

He also cited Mnangagwa's liberation struggle credentials as one of the reasons for continued support.

"Remember also that he is still the senior surviving member of Chimurenga, the revolution that brought this country to Independence, so we still want him for an additional seven years," he said.

Meanwhile, opposition parties have approached the Constitutional Court challenging the legality of Constitutional Amendment Act No. 3, arguing that both the process followed in passing the law and some of its provisions are unconstitutional.

The legal challenges are expected to test the constitutional implications of the amendment and its impact on Zimbabwe's electoral and governance framework.