MNANGAGWA’S NEW POWER PLAN SHOWS ZANU PF’S FEAR OF LOSING CONTROL
President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the people around him in ZANU PF are working on a new plan to stay in power beyond his second term, which ends in 2028. Even if the noise about who will take over in 2030 has gone quiet, the real fight is still happening in secret. The plan is simple. They want to change the constitution again so Mnangagwa can stay in power for more years. This is the goal they want to push at the next ZANU PF conference in Mutare from 13 to 18 October.
Last year in Bulawayo, they passed a resolution to give Mnangagwa a chance to extend his rule to 2030. Now they want to go further and make sure the law supports that plan. Before the politburo meeting on 2 July, the party gave Patrick Chinamasa and Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi the job of finding a way to turn the 2023 resolution into real law. Chinamasa was first against the idea, but now he supports it because he is close to businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei. Tagwirei wants more power in the party and is hoping to join the Central Committee. He is one of Mnangagwa’s strongest supporters and wants him to stay in power.
Mnangagwa continues to say that he does not want to stay beyond his two terms, but his allies are clearly working very hard to make sure he stays. They try to act like they are doing it on their own, but it is clear they would not be doing this without his silent approval.
What makes everything more strange is that Mnangagwa came to power through a coup in 2017. Now he is trying to stop Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, the man who helped him come to power, from taking over. Mnangagwa wants to give power to someone else he chooses, not Chiwenga. This alone shows the deep fear inside ZANU PF.
Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe recently said there will be no elections in 2028. He said elections will only happen in 2030 and that the Mutare conference will make sure the constitution is changed to allow this. But the constitution of Zimbabwe is very clear. Elections must be held every five years. Delaying elections is breaking the law.
Garwe also said all ten ZANU PF provinces will support the idea of pushing elections to 2030. It is very clear that ZANU PF is trying to avoid giving the people a chance to vote in a referendum about extending presidential terms. They know many people will reject Mnangagwa and vote against any plan to keep him in power.
So instead of changing term limits directly, they want to delay elections through Parliament. But many legal experts say this is a clear attack on the constitution. It feels like another silent coup. Everything will be discussed at the Mutare conference at the Polytechnic College. Mnangagwa’s close friends are working hard to make sure he stays as party leader and president beyond 2028.
Mnangagwa’s supporters say he has a “God-ordained vision” for 2030 and beyond. But the truth is simple. They are scared of losing power. They fear what might happen if Chiwenga takes over. They fear a real election. They fear letting people choose a new leader.
This is not about helping the people. It is not about progress. It is about greed, fear, and the hunger for power. ZANU PF leaders want to change the rules so they can keep eating while ordinary people continue to suffer.
The people of Zimbabwe must not allow the constitution to be broken to please one man. This is our country. Power must return to the people. And the time to stand up is now.
ZANU PF knows it cannot win a fair referendum, so it wants to change the rules behind closed doors. That fear alone tells us this plan has nothing to do with national interest and everything to do with survival.
It is ironic that Mnangagwa came to power by accusing Mugabe of overstaying, yet now wants to do the same thing. History is repeating itself, and ordinary Zimbabweans will pay the price again. Delaying elections is not reform. It is a silent coup. If leaders were confident in their performance, they would respect the constitution and face the people at the ballot box.