A bold plan by Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu-PF party to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term to 2030 has drawn a fiery condemnation from an unexpected source: former party heavyweight and minister, Saviour Kasukuwere.
In a stark public warning, Kasukuwere, a key figure in the former Mugabe government now living in exile, dismissed the move as a “dream” born of unchecked greed that would lead to “gigantic failure” and a “huge disaster” for the nation.
“He is dreaming and he has set himself up for a gigantic failure,” Kasukuwere told IOL. “Greediness knows no boundaries.”
The scathing critique comes after Zanu-PF’s annual conference unanimously endorsed a resolution to amend the constitution, arguing that Mnangagwa needs two extra years beyond his 2028 term limit to “complete ongoing national development programmes” under the government’s “Vision 2030” agenda.
Party officials, like acting political commissar Munyaradzi Machacha, have framed the move as essential for “policy continuity,” praising the president’s “exceptional leadership.”
However, Kasukuwere’s outburst exposes a deep fissure and signals significant internal dissent. His comments represent the most prominent condemnation from a former Zanu-PF insider, turning the term extension from a mere policy debate into a high-stakes political struggle that questions the very stability of Mnangagwa’s rule.
The stage is now set for a contentious constitutional battle, with the ruling party’s ambition for prolonged power facing resistance from within its own historical ranks.
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