His
remarks
at
the
ZANU
PF
Central
Committee
meeting
in
Harare
this
week
have
been
interpreted
as
a
dramatic
rebuke
to
senior
party
figures
pushing
for
elections
to
be
postponed
until
2030
or
beyond.
Factions
Clash
Within
ZANU
PF
The
president’s
message
comes
amid
intensifying
battle
within
the
ruling
party.
National
Housing
and
Social
Amenities
minister,
Daniel
Garwe
and
other
loyalists
had
argued
publicly
that
the
next
polls
should
be
pushed
to
2030,
effectively
granting
Mnangagwa
two
extra
years
in
office.
This
“2030
agenda”
has
sharply
divided
the
party,
with
“reformists”
warning
it
could
trigger
a
legitimacy
crisis
both
at
home
and
abroad.
Mnangagwa’s
Directive
Addressing
the
Central
Committee,
Mnangagwa
stated:
“It
is
important
that
we
introspect
as
a
party
of
the
bigger
picture
that
we
must
win
the
2028
harmonised
elections.
The
Central
Committee
must
have
robust
and
frank
discussions
to
foster
solutions
in
unity
to
realise
our
common
vision.”
His
choice
of
words
has
been
interpreted
as
a
firm
directive
that
ZANU
PF
must
shift
its
focus
from
debates
over
term
extensions
to
preparing
an
electoral
strategy
that
secures
victory
in
2028.
Constitutional
Barriers
to
Term
Extension
Zimbabwe’s
2013
Constitution
sets
clear
limits.
Article
91
stipulates
that
a
president
may
serve
only
two
five-year
terms.
Constitutional
lawyer
Professor
Lovemore
Madhuku
stated
in
January
2025
that,
“any
amendment
to
extend
a
sitting
president’s
tenure
faces
two
fundamental
hurdles,
the
parliamentary
supermajority
and
the
entrenched
clause
that
prevents
an
incumbent
from
benefiting
from
such
an
amendment.”
This
legal
firewall
means
that
even
if
ZANU
PF
mustered
the
numbers
in
Parliament,
a
referendum
would
likely
be
required,
with
voters
holding
the
final
say.
Mnangagwa’s
Balancing
Act
By
declaring
elections
will
proceed
in
2028,
Mnangagwa
has
projected
himself
as
a
constitutionalist.
But
analysts
warn
this
could
also
be
a
tactical
move
to
contain
internal
dissent
rather
than
a
firm
commitment.
Political
scientist
Ibbo
Mandaza
argued
earlier
this
year
that,
“Mnangagwa’s
statements
are
often
strategic
signals
to
manage
factions,
not
necessarily
his
final
position.”
The
uncertainty
keeps
both
his
allies
and
rivals
guessing.
Implications
for
Democratic
Institutions
The
stakes
stretch
far
beyond
ZANU
PF’s
internal
quarrels.
If
the
party
were
to
override
constitutional
limits,
Zimbabwe’s
already
fragile
institutions
–
the
judiciary,
parliament,
the
Zimbabwe
Electoral
Commission,
and
the
security
sector
–
could
face
an
unprecedented
legitimacy
crisis.
As
constitutional
expert
Alex
Magaisa
warned
before
his
death
in
2022,
“tampering
with
presidential
term
limits
is
tampering
with
the
people’s
will,
and
it
undermines
every
safeguard
meant
to
prevent
authoritarian
entrenchment.”
His
words
remain
a
stark
reminder
of
what
is
at
risk.