A senior United States lawmaker warned Zimbabwe’s president against extending his rule beyond constitutional limits after the ruling party resolved to keep him in power until 2030.
Gregory Meeks, ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said Washington was watching developments closely after ZANU-PF adopted a resolution Saturday to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term by two years.
The plan was endorsed Saturday at the movement’s annual conference in the eastern city of Mutare, where delegates instructed the government to begin drafting legislation to amend the Constitution, Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi told party delegates.
“President Mnangagwa swore to strengthen the pillars of Zimbabwe’s democracy and accept term limits,” Meeks said in a statement. “Extending his term would erode that foundation.”
Mnangagwa, 83, is constitutionally required to leave office in 2028 after serving two elected terms. The current constitution mandates presidents step down after two five-year terms.
“The party and government are therefore directed to initiate the requisite legislative amendments to give full effect to this resolution to ensure continuity, stability and the sustained transformation of the nation,” Ziyambi said.
Hundreds of delegates cheered as the motion passed. ZANU-PF has ruled the Southern African nation since independence from Britain in 1980 and holds a commanding majority in parliament, providing a clear path for the amendments.
Constitutional experts say Section 328 of the constitution deliberately prevents the incumbent from benefiting from any extension of term limits introduced during their tenure. Legal scholars suggest two referendums would be required.
Opposition leaders condemned the move. “Zanu PF’s 2030 resolution of today is silent on how it will be done. If it means changing the Constitution, only a referendum can decide and even then, the sitting President cannot benefit,” said Jameson Timba, Citizens Coalition for Change interim leader.
“We will defend the Constitution against its capture and manipulation to advance a dangerous unconstitutional anti-people agenda,” opposition lawyer Tendai Biti said on X.
Ten elderly activists – most in their 60s and 70s – were arrested in Harare on Friday for allegedly planning a protest demanding Mnangagwa’s resignation. They face charges of inciting public violence and await Monday bail hearings.
The president made no mention of the extension during his closing remarks at the conference. Mnangagwa has previously described himself as a “constitutionalist” with no interest in clinging to power.
The resolution exposes divisions within ZANU-PF between Mnangagwa loyalists and supporters of Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who led the 2017 coup that removed Robert Mugabe. Chiwenga has not commented on Mnangagwa’s term extension bid.
Blessed Geza, a veteran fighter from the liberation war and a Chiwenga ally, has been using YouTube livestreams to condemn the push, drawing thousands of viewers.
Government and Zanu-PF have been given a deadline of the 23rd Zanu-PF National People’s Conference in October 2026 to implement Resolution Number 1, party officials said.
Zimbabwe faces over $21 billion in debt and arrears with bilateral and multilateral creditors. The European Union announced that it had suspended its 2025 funding for the government’s good governance initiatives under the “structured dialogue framework,” because Zimbabwe had “not upheld its own commitments under this process, particularly regarding the expansion of civic space.”
The country has struggled with economic collapse marked by hyperinflation, mass unemployment, and allegations of corruption under Mnangagwa’s rule since 2017.
