By Political Reporter- President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s allies in his home province, the Midlands, have reignited the push to extend his term of office, despite Mnangagwa himself having stated that he would step down in 2028.
This renewed ambition for a term extension has rekindled tensions between Mnangagwa and his deputy, Constantino Chiwenga, following a temporary truce reached at the Zanu PF conference in Bulawayo last month.
Edson Chiherenge, a vocal supporter of the 2030 agenda and Zanu PF’s Midlands provincial chairperson, was adamant about the push for an extension.
“We want him to continue to rule,” Chiherenge said at a meeting in Kwekwe last week.
“We went to the conference to endorse our resolution as the Midlands province that Mnangagwa should extend his term until 2030… 2030 belongs to Emmerson Mnangagwa.”
Zanu PF’s director of information, Farai Marapira, echoed this sentiment, stating that while the 2030 resolution had been adopted at the conference, the party was still awaiting Mnangagwa’s final stance.
“We respect democracy, and the structures are allowed to speak their minds—that’s the democracy of Zanu PF,” Marapira said.
Despite the provincial push, Mnangagwa himself has publicly stated on three occasions this year that he plans to retire in 2028.
However, a recent, tense, closed-door Politburo meeting between Mnangagwa and Chiwenga suggests that his timeline could be far from settled.
Insiders reported a palpable chill between the two leaders, who reportedly avoided eye contact during heated discussions.
At the heart of the divide is a Mnangagwa-aligned faction that has hinted at a potential constitutional amendment to extend the presidential term to seven years, a move to bolster his Vision 2030 plan.
This proposition, however, clashes with Chiwenga’s interests.
Supported by his military backers, Chiwenga initially opposed Mnangagwa’s bid to stay in office until 2030, pressuring him to announce his tentative exit by 2028.
The rift highlights the unravelling of a once-strong alliance.
Initially, the Mnangagwa-Chiwenga partnership—formed to oust former President Robert Mugabe in 2017—was underpinned by a so-called “gentleman’s agreement,” in which Mnangagwa would serve a single term before handing over power to Chiwenga.
Yet, Mnangagwa’s reliance on the Central Intelligence Organization (CIO) rather than the military for his re-election campaign in 2023 only deepened the divide, signalling a shift away from their original pact.
To further weaken Chiwenga’s influence, Mnangagwa appointed Zimbabwe Defence Forces commander General Phillip Valerio Sibanda to the Politburo, a strategic move aimed at diluting Chiwenga’s power base within the military.
As Zanu PF members remain divided, Mnangagwa’s intentions regarding his term remain uncertain, with speculation mounting that the power struggle within the party is far from over.