ZANU PF WAR LOOMS AS MNANGAGWA PLOTS ILLEGAL THIRD TERM
The battle lines inside Zanu PF are no longer hidden. President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his loyal faction are now openly pushing for him to remain in power until 2030. This move would allow him to go beyond the constitutional two-term limit that ends in 2028. Ten Zanu PF provinces have already thrown their weight behind the idea, saying it’s time to implement the controversial resolution made during the Bulawayo conference last year — a resolution that sought to rewrite the political future of Zimbabwe by pushing Mnangagwa into an unconstitutional third term.
The party’s next annual convention in Mutare is now set to be the biggest political showdown in years. The whole country will be watching. Will the resolution be passed smoothly as the Mnangagwa camp hopes? Or will strong opposition from within the party surface to challenge the illegal power grab? The answer to this question may lie in the hands of Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga — the man many assumed was patiently waiting to take over in 2028.
Chiwenga now stands at a dangerous crossroads. If he agrees with the third term push, he will look weak and lose the confidence of his faction. If he remains silent, it will show that he has no real power left. But if he dares to oppose it, he risks triggering open warfare with Mnangagwa and the party’s dominant structures. None of these options are safe for him, but silence could be political suicide.
The power struggle between Mnangagwa and Chiwenga is not new. It has been slowly building since the 2017 coup that removed Robert Mugabe. Mnangagwa has spent the years since then tightening his grip on every corner of the party, eliminating threats, and rewarding loyalists. Many believed 2028 would mark a peaceful handover to Chiwenga, but that dream is now being shattered. The provinces’ endorsements show how deeply Mnangagwa has entrenched himself, even within areas that were once neutral in the succession debate.
For millions of Zimbabweans, this is yet another painful betrayal. The struggle within Zanu PF has nothing to do with their daily lives. It’s not about fixing the economy. It’s not about jobs, hospitals, education, or lifting people out of poverty. It’s about power — who gets it, who keeps it, and who loses it. While citizens queue for bread and live without electricity or clean water, the top leaders are focused only on who will rule, not how to serve.
Many activists and political analysts have condemned the 2030 push as illegal and dangerous. It tears apart the Constitution, a document already weakened by years of abuse. If Mnangagwa succeeds, Zimbabwe will be sliding faster into dictatorship, with no pretense of democratic transition. This also risks destabilizing Zanu PF itself, as internal frustrations boil over and possibly explode beyond party walls. The history of African politics shows that power struggles at the top often spill into chaos for the nation. Zimbabwe may be heading in that same direction.
As the Mutare convention approaches, all attention turns to Chiwenga. Will he bend to Mnangagwa’s will, betraying his long-awaited ambitions? Or will he rise and challenge the plot, knowing the risks? No matter the outcome, one thing is clear: this battle is not for the benefit of the people. It is a selfish fight among elites. It is about preserving power for the few while the rest of the nation continues to suffer. This is not leadership. This is greed dressed as politics. And Zimbabwe deserves better.
