Mutsvangwa says Zanu PF feared ‘detractors’ would hijack 2028 elections

ZANU PF says Zimbabwe could have been “ambushed” by forces opposed to the ruling party during the 2028 elections had it not pushed through Constitutional Amendment Act Number 3, which extended President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s tenure to 2030.

ZANU PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa made the remarks while addressing journalists at the party’s headquarters on Thursday.

Despite the Constitutional Amendment Act Number 3 reportedly facing initial resistance from a clique aligned to Deputy President Constantino Chiwenga, the constitutional changes sailed through the legal and legislative processes, extending Mnangagwa’s tenure to 2030.

Mutsvangwa said the amendment had helped avert what he described as the country’s vulnerability in 2028.

“The questions which arise at that crucial handover stage are such that the country will be very strong to withstand any stresses. Basically, a lot of preparation may have been put in by detractors and those who are sworn enemies of the liberation movement to ambush 2028.

“There was a possibility that the country may not even be well prepared to withstand this pressure, and it is this assessment by ZANU PF which made us start looking at our constitution,” said Mutsvangwa.

The Constitutional Amendment Act Number 3 was viewed by political observers as clipping the ambitions of Chiwenga, who had reportedly eyed the presidency.

The amendment deepened divisions within ZANU PF, with rival factions emerging around those backing Chiwenga and those pushing for Mnangagwa to remain in power beyond 2028.

Mutsvangwa also took a swipe at those harbouring presidential ambitions, telling them to put their aspirations on hold until Mnangagwa’s tenure ends in 2030.

“The detractors will have nothing to shout about. We are now very confident of the certainty of leadership; we are also confident of the stability of the political system, and we are very assured of the sustenance of the economic miracle.

“At our meeting yesterday in the Politburo, there was unanimous expression of gratitude and gladness about the President. There may be ambition, and rightfully so in politics—that is why everybody is a politician; ambition is right—but there is a time when ambition has to curve in to the realities of what people want,” said Mutsvangwa.

The Constitutional Amendment Act Number 3 was signed into law by Mnangagwa earlier this year, extending the presidential term among other changes.