AT its 21st National People’s Conference in Bulawayo last week, the ruling Zanu PF party pushed forward two resolutions that could reshape the country’s political landscape — and jeopardise its democratic integrity.
One proposes extending President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s tenure from 2028 to 2030, while the other aims to enshrine party supremacy over the government. Both motions violate Zimbabwe’s constitution, the nation’s supreme law. Mnangagwa, who secured his second and final term in August 2023, has publicly committed to stepping down at the end of his tenure. He has been consistent and emphatic on the issue.
“I am in my second term and I already know the date I am stepping down in 2028. I am going home, and others will take over,” he said in September.
However there is a conundrum. Supporters within his party are pushing for an extension. This move has far-reaching implications for Zimbabwe’s social, economic, and political stability.
The language of the resolution reads: “The Party and Government should, therefore, set in motion the necessary amendments to the National Constitution so as to give effect to this resolution”.
The party’s legal secretary, Patrick Chinamasa, clarified that the extension will proceed only with Mnangagwa’s approval, but the President has, for now, declined the proposal. The issue remains at the top of Zanu PF’s agenda, leaving Zimbabweans — and potential investors — guessing about the country’s future.
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What this means is that the matter remains unresolved and the succession issue contentious within Zanu PF. This creates political instability, which hurts economic growth and development.
The country recalls the turbulent succession struggles under Robert Mugabe’s rule, when unchecked factionalism ultimately led to his ouster in a 2017 military intervention.
Today, Zanu PF finds itself again entrenched in a factional standoff, with allies of Mnangagwa and Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga increasingly at odds. This weekend’s circulation of threatening voice recordings only underscores the party’s fraying unity and deepening instability.
Is history repeating itself?
Remember how Mugabe failed to solve the succession matrix because he crushed anyone who dared express interest in succeeding him. Zanu PF’s succession issues have always left Zimbabwe stuck in a perpetual election mode. The party’s relentless campaigning — now pivoting to “ED2030” just a year after Mnangagwa’s re-election — does little to bolster political stability or investor confidence.
The cycle of electioneering distracts Zimbabwe’s leadership from the urgent task of economic recovery, as they focus instead on factional power plays.
This uncertainty harms Zimbabwe’s international standing. Investors are wary of politically unstable economies, and the factional fights reinforce the notion that Zimbabwe remains mired in political and economic fragility.
As he rightly told Chinamasa in their briefings that “he cannot be seen nationally and globally to be the first to violate what he put in place”, Mnangagwa must halt this divisive narrative and focus instead on securing a legacy of stability.
In his tenure, there has been an increase in government funded capital projects, which have seen positive returns across different sectors.
There has also been notable progress on the Gwayi-Shangani Dam, Kunzvi Dam, Beitbridge-Harare Highway, Robert Mugabe International Airport and the Emergency Rehabilitation Programme Phase II where various urban and rural roads works are being undertaken.
In addition, the government has increased spending on public infrastructure such as schools, higher tertiary education innovation centres and student accommodation, hospitals and accommodation for the uniformed forces.
Mnangagwa must continue on this pathway toward realising Vision 2030.
To reach this goal, Zanu PF must prioritise transparent succession planning over prolonged electioneering. It must take a cue from its sister liberation movements.
The country’s leadership should be concentrating on economic revitalisation, meeting social needs, and building an economy for future generations. It is time for Zanu PF to break this perpetual cycle of electioneering and focus on strengthening Zimbabwe’s economy and improving citizens’ welfare.
The country deserves a leadership that rises above power struggles to create a stable, prosperous Zimbabwe. After all we cannot afford a referendum to amend the constitution to allow for the extension of the presidential term. Essentially, referendums are elections.