Harare, 23 January, 2025 / 5:18 pm (ACI Africa).
Members of the Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations (ZHOCD) have expressed concern over recent calls by Members of Parliament and political activists for President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa to extend his term in office.
In October 2024, at a conference that was organized by the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) party, delegates from all ten provinces of the country unanimously endorsed a resolution to amend the constitution, allowing President Mnangagwa to serve until 2030.
On January 14, the ZANU-PF party reaffirmed the intentions to prolong President Mnangagwa’s term by an additional two years, extending it to 2030. Party spokesperson Farai Marapira is said to have confirmed the decision but did not provide specifics on the method for achieving the extension.
Legal experts in Zimbabwe have highlighted the complexities involved in amending presidential term limits. Such changes would necessitate multiple constitutional amendments and likely require referendums, making the process both legally and politically challenging.
Weighing in on the resolution, Citizen Coalition for Change (CCC), the country’s main opposition party, resolved not to stand in the way of calls for the president to extend his tenure.