Published: 3 hours ago

Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu‑PF has publicly dismissed assertions that the push to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa's term is a covert move to sideline or signal no confidence in Vice President Constantino Chiwenga.

Zanu‑PF national spokesperson and former ambassador to China, Christopher Hatikure Mutsvangwa, insisted that Chiwenga is not entitled to replace Mnangagwa automatically and that any suggestion of anointment is misplaced.

"It is not that we do not want him (Chiwenga). He can declare his candidacy. There is no provision in the Zimbabwean constitution that the vice president is the automatic leader of the country afterwards. We go to elections, and people vote in Zimbabwe for the leadership. So he needs to be voted.

"This is not a papacy. This is not cardinals in Rome, sitting in a cabal, deciding that this is going to be the person succeeding the pope. This is a democratic country, and people go to elections. If he wants, he can declare his candidacy for elections in the party or outside the party and do the test of the vote. This effort of someone being anointed for whatever reason, it is totally against the tenets of democratic governance," Mutsvangwa told SABC News.

Mutsvangwa said Chiwenga is not the only politician aspiring for higher office in Zimbabwe.

"Why this particular preoccupation with this particular person, except that there are some people who feel that he should be anointed as the leader of Zimbabwe. This is not a papacy. This is a democratic, constitutionally-run country," Mutsvangwa insisted.

Mnangagwa has previously said he is a constitutionalist and would step down in 2028.

Reactions at home, in the diaspora and in South Africa

The resolution has drawn a mixed response. Opposition activists and civil society figures have warned the move risks entrenching authoritarian tendencies. Some analysts say the extension could be framed domestically as necessary for continuity while simultaneously raising concerns among donors and regional partners about democratic backsliding.

Zimbabweans in the diaspora - including those living in South Africa - have also voiced unease. In interviews with IOL, some critics argued the extension reveals Zanu‑PF's reluctance to allow a generational leadership change, while supporters countered that stability and economic recovery require continuity at the top.

Last week, former Zanu PF bigwig and cabinet minister Saviour Kasukuwere rubbished the former liberation movement's bold plans to extend Mnangagwa's term of office to 2030, warning that the move will end badly for both the president and Zimbabwe.

Speaking to IOL, Kasukuwere said: "He (Mnangagwa) is dreaming and he has set himself up for a gigantic failure. Greediness knows no boundaries, and this will lead to a huge disaster for the country."

Zanu PF has emboldened its move to push through the proposal allowing Mnangagwa to remain in power beyond his current constitutional term, which ends in 2028. The party recently adopted a resolution at its annual conference backing the extension to align with the government's so-called "Vision 2030" development agenda.

Kasukuwere, once a senior figure in the Zanu PF government led by Robert Mugabe before going into exile during the 2017 military intervention, became one of the most prominent former insiders to condemn the party's Mnangagwa plan publicly.

The political debate in South Africa is further complicated by rising anti‑immigrant sentiment and calls by some local groups for Zimbabwean migrants to return home. Observers warn that prolonged political uncertainty in Harare could exacerbate tensions in host communities across the region.

What happens next

If Zanu‑PF moves ahead, the party would refer the resolution to parliament - where, with its two‑thirds majority, it could initiate the constitutional amendment process. That would likely trigger legal and political challenges from opposition parties and civil society, and could prompt increased scrutiny from regional bodies such as SADC and the AU.

Whether Mnangagwa's extension will be presented as a caretaker continuity measure or a hard political move to shape succession remains the central political question for the months ahead.
- IOL

You might also want to read this

• Chiwenga condemns Tanzania's post-election violence
• Vicious crackdown on Chiwenga backers
• Chiwenga rides hostilities in Mutare
• Chiwenga urges Zanu-PF to uphold liberation ideals
• Chiwenga rallies for unity, integrity at Zanu-PF Conference
• Unpacking Mnangagwa's legal coup against Chiwenga
• Chiwenga assassination allegations surface
• Chiwenga warns Zimbabweans against October 17 demo
• 'Chiwenga is not a superhero,' says Mliswa
• Chiwenga accused of incitement, treason