Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF party concluded its 23rd Annual National People’s Conference on Saturday, passing a resolution to defer its next elective congress from 2027 to 2029. This decision extends President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term as the leader of the party.
The resolution was adopted by party delegates on the final day of the week-long conference held in Chinhoyi, the provincial capital of Mashonaland West. An elective congress is the formal event where party members vote to elect key leadership positions, including the party’s president and first secretary.
Under the new resolution, the next contest for the party’s leadership will take place in 2029. According to the party’s announcement, President Mnangagwa will continue to serve as the ZANU-PF leader until that time. Party officials did not provide a public reason for the postponement of the congress.
The change to the party’s internal election cycle is distinct from the national presidential term limits prescribed by the Constitution of Zimbabwe. The country’s constitution limits a head of state to two five-year terms. Mnangagwa began his second and final term as President of Zimbabwe in September 2023, following the general election held in August. His constitutional term as the nation’s president is scheduled to end in 2028.
The conference was held under the theme, “Building a Prosperous Zimbabwe, Leaving No One and No Place Behind.” The resolutions passed by the party’s ten provinces covered a range of topics concerning party affairs and national policy. The deferment of the elective congress was one of several resolutions presented and formally adopted at the conclusion of the event.
