Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu-PF party has proposed extending President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s rule until 2030, two years beyond his constitutional term limit, though party officials remain vague on how they plan to achieve this extension.
Farai Marapira, Zanu-PF’s information director, confirmed the proposal on Tuesday but declined to specify whether the party would pursue constitutional amendments to facilitate the extension.
Zimbabwe’s constitution currently restricts presidents to two five-year terms, with Mnangagwa’s second term set to expire in 2028.
“The modalities have not been decided,” Marapira told Reuters when questioned about potential seven-year term extensions.
Constitutional lawyer Welshman Ncube warns the move would require two separate referendums – one to eliminate term limits and another to remove restrictions on amendments benefiting incumbent leaders.
“It would be legally impossible for Mnangagwa to remain in office beyond 2028,” argues lawyer Lovemore Madhuku, stating no entity has authority to extend presidential terms.
The proposal emerged during a Zanu-PF conference in October 2024, despite Mnangagwa’s previous statements indicating he would step down after his current term.
The move echoes Zimbabwe’s political history under Robert Mugabe, who ruled from 1980 until his 2017 ouster, maintaining power through constitutional changes and opposition suppression.
A 2023 study reveals that 24 African governments have attempted to extend presidential terms beyond constitutional limits since 1990, with most succeeding.
