Zimbabwe’s ruling party, ZANU PF, has addressed the country’s 2028 general elections, with a party official stating that constitutional changes were pursued to prevent what he described as an “ambush” by opposing forces. The remarks were made by ZANU PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa during a press conference at the party’s headquarters in Harare on Thursday.
Speaking to journalists, Mutsvangwa asserted that without certain constitutional amendments, Zimbabwe could have been vulnerable to “detractors” during the 2028 election cycle. He framed the party’s actions as a measure to safeguard its position and national stability.
“We could have been ambushed in 2028,” Mutsvangwa stated, attributing the party’s motivation for supporting constitutional changes to this concern. The term “detractors” was used to refer to forces the party considers to be in opposition to its agenda.
The discussion centers on Zimbabwe’s constitutional framework, particularly regarding presidential term limits. The Constitution of Zimbabwe currently limits a president to two five-year terms. President Emmerson Mnangagwa is serving his second and constitutionally final term, which concludes in 2028.
While Mutsvangwa’s comments linked constitutional changes to the 2028 election, the most significant recent change, Constitutional Amendment No. 2 Act of 2021, did not directly alter presidential term limits. Instead, this amendment made several other structural changes. It removed the presidential running mate clause that was set to take effect, extended the retirement age for senior judges from 70 to 75, and granted the president increased authority in the appointment process for senior judicial officials.
Any effort to extend President Mnangagwa’s tenure beyond 2028 would require a separate, future constitutional amendment specifically to alter the two-term limit. In recent months, some ZANU PF officials and affiliated groups have publicly expressed support for President Mnangagwa to continue in office beyond the current constitutional deadline, a campaign informally known as “2030 vaMnangagwa vanenge vachipo” (Mnangagwa will still be in office in 2030).
Mutsvangwa’s press conference places these ongoing political discussions in the context of the party’s strategy ahead of the next national election. No specific groups or individuals were named as the “detractors” during his address.
