Zimbabwe’s ruling party, ZANU-PF, has endorsed a proposal to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s rule until 2030, igniting fresh political tensions.
Mnangagwa, 83, seized power in a 2017 military-backed coup that ended Robert Mugabe’s 37-year rule. His two constitutional terms are due to expire in 2028.
For months, party factions have quietly lobbied to keep him in office, citing his “developmental milestones and socio-economic progress.” The party’s annual congress formally adopted the proposal, spokesman Nick Mnangagwa announced.
He said the government had been instructed to begin drafting legislative changes to enable the extension.
The move deepens divisions in a nation already scarred by economic collapse, rampant unemployment, and inflation that has eroded livelihoods. Mnangagwa’s rule has been marked by allegations of corruption, cronyism, and repression.
Opposition figures condemned the plan, calling it a constitutional assault. Prominent lawyer and former finance minister Tendai Biti vowed to resist the manoeuvre through legal action.
“We will defend the Constitution against its capture to advance a dangerous, anti-people agenda,” Biti said on X, accusing ruling elites of “systematic looting” and an attempt to “take over the State.”
Human rights groups warned that the government is tightening its grip through intimidation and arrests. Ten elderly citizens were detained in Harare on Friday for allegedly planning a protest demanding Mnangagwa’s resignation.
Authorities charged them with organising a gathering intended to incite public violence, and they remain in custody pending a Monday bail hearing.
Earlier this year, police arrested 95 young demonstrators in similar protests, underscoring the growing crackdown on dissent.
As Zimbabwe’s political temperature rises, Mnangagwa’s quest for extended power risks pushing the nation further into economic and democratic turmoil.
