Rule until 2030!?
It is unsurprising that efforts are underway to extend Mnangagwa's term until 2030.
Since 1980, ZANU PF has demonstrated a persistent desire to remain in power indefinitely, often resorting to questionable methods, despite the adverse effects on the economy.
The ruling party has been in power for 45 years, during which the economy has significantly deteriorated. To suggest that extending their term could result in positive change is akin to applying superficial solutions to deep-rooted issues, “Make up on a baboon”. This analogy underscores the futility of expecting substantial improvements without addressing the fundamental problems. Potential risks to the economic and political situation in the country include:
- Authoritarianism: The extension of the term would be considered as authoritarianism, which may go against democratic processes and institutions. Such an impression may trigger political instability and lack of confidence among investors because most businesses are more inclined to work in stable and democratized settings.
- Economic Instability: The extension should not be done without sound economic reforms that will play a negative role in enhancing the current challenges like hyperinflation and currency instability. The case of monetary meltdown in Zimbabwe illustrates the significance of dealing with such problems to avoid economic meltdowns.
- Corruption and Governance: A longer term could create complacency in governance, and this may result in a rise in the level of corruption. The long term might be counterproductive to the improvement of the effectiveness and governance of the public sector without some solid checks and balances.
- Investment Deterrence: Although increased term may help in attracting foreign direct investment with favorable policies, the vice versa may be true as the vice-verse may be taken to be a threat to political freedom. The risk of further political risk may scare the investors away.
- Social Unrest: This extension may result in social unrest in case it does not reach a large percentage of the population. This turmoil may stem out the economic activities and destabilize the situation further.
Given the volatility and uncertainty of the Zimbabwean economy, there is considerable concern regarding the potential success of Mnangagwa's latest strategy. The economic landscape has been challenging, with significant issues such as inflation, unemployment, and a lack of foreign investment due to political instability. These factors cast doubt on the effectiveness of any new economic strategies without substantial reforms and international support.
x.com - steve hanke comment - 8th November 2025 "On this week's Hanke's #CurrencyWatchlist, Zimbabwe's ZiG comes in as the WORLD'S 7th WORST currency. The ZiG has depreciated by 20% against the USD YoY. PRES. MNANGAGWA = ARROGANT, INCOMPETENT & CORRUPT."
We asked AI for some further context and clarity - "In Zimbabwe the ruling Zanu PF party (in power since 18th April 1980) which openly proclaimed that Zimbabwe would be a "One-Party-State" - are now planning to keep E D Mnangagwa in Office until 2030 - in breach of Zimbabwe's hard fought for, Constitution. Please research this contentious issue from the perspectives of: Democratic abuse, Economic Failings, Mismanagement of the Zimbabwean Economy and Underlying Corruption"
Breach of the Constitution
Overview of the Term Extension Controversy
Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu PF party, which has dominated politics since independence in 1980 and once advocated for a one-party state under Robert Mugabe, is currently pushing to amend the constitution to extend President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa's second term by two years, from 2028 to 2030. This proposal, passed as a resolution at the party's annual conference in October 2025, would effectively bypass the constitutional two-term limit enshrined in the 2013 charter, which Zimbabweans fought for during a referendum to entrench democratic safeguards.
Proponents, including Mnangagwa allies, argue it aligns with "Vision 2030" development goals and reflects party unity, but critics, including opposition leaders from the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) and civil society, decry it as a blatant power grab that undermines the rule of law. Legal challenges are underway, with a court deliberating the issue as of November 2025, and public sentiment on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) is polarized—some Zanu PF supporters rally behind it as a path to stability, while others see it as a distraction from internal succession battles involving figures like businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei.
This move exacerbates longstanding concerns about governance, as explored below from the requested perspectives.
Democratic Abuse
The term extension bid is widely viewed as the latest symptom of Zanu PF's pattern of democratic erosion under Mnangagwa, who assumed power via a 2017 military-assisted ouster of Mugabe but has since consolidated control in ways that echo the one-party aspirations of the 1980s. Human Rights Watch's 2025 report documents intensified repression, including arbitrary arrests, abductions, and torture of opposition activists ahead of elections and protests, with Mnangagwa's June 2025 party address signaling tolerance for such tactics against perceived threats.
The U.S. State Department has highlighted Zanu PF's use of state institutions to intimidate rivals, such as the MDC Alliance (now fragmented into CCC), through lower-level but persistent abuses like voter intimidation—far outpacing any opposition misconduct. International observers, including Amnesty International, condemned the 2023 elections as marred by irregularities, with Mnangagwa's inauguration following abductions and violence, further eroding trust in institutions.
Critics argue the extension proposal itself is undemocratic, requiring a two-thirds parliamentary majority and referendum—processes Zanu PF dominates via gerrymandered districts and patronage—potentially "shredding" the constitution without genuine public input.
On X, users like journalist Hopewell Chin'ono frame it as a "ruse" to distract from factional infighting, while opposition voices warn it entrenches authoritarianism, stifling the multi-party democracy Zimbabweans demanded post-Mugabe. This backsliding has drawn U.S. sanctions in March 2024, targeting Mnangagwa and aides for enabling abuses that suppress dissent and fair competition.
Economic Failings
Zimbabwe's economy remains in chronic distress under Mnangagwa, with the term extension push unfolding against a backdrop of hyperinflation's lingering scars and fresh crises that fuel public disillusionment.
GDP growth has stagnated below 2% in 2025 amid currency volatility—the Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) introduced in 2024 has depreciated over 40%—exacerbating poverty affecting 40% of the population, per World Bank estimates. Fuel shortages, power outages exceeding 18 hours daily, and food insecurity have sparked protests, including civil servants' strikes in 2019 that continue to echo in 2025 demands for livable wages eroded by 300% inflation peaks.
The Bertelsmann Stiftung's 2024 Transformation Index rates economic management as a failure, noting unfulfilled promises of post-Mugabe recovery, with debt at 100% of GDP and limited access to international finance due to arrears. Critics link these failings to Zanu PF's isolationist policies, like land reforms that deterred investment, and the extension bid is seen as prolonging instability rather than addressing root causes.
X discussions, such as those around Tagwirei's rallies, highlight grassroots frustration with slogans like "Pasi neNhamo" (Down with Poverty), underscoring how economic woes amplify calls for change. Neighboring countries' solidarity against sanctions in 2019 masked these realities, but analysts argue the crisis stems from internal mismanagement, not external pressures alone.
Mismanagement of the Zimbabwean Economy
Mnangagwa's administration has been accused of perpetuating decades of Zanu PF economic mismanagement, with the 2030 extension viewed as a bid to evade accountability for policies that have deepened inequality and dependency. Key missteps include the 2016 Command Agriculture scandal under Mnangagwa's vice presidency, which siphoned billions in inputs without boosting yields, contributing to 2025's maize shortages requiring food imports.
The 2023 GIS Reports analysis points to structural flaws like over-reliance on mining (gold exports down 15% in 2025 due to illicit flows) and failure to diversify, leaving the economy vulnerable to commodity slumps and climate shocks. Protests in March 2025, including calls for Mnangagwa's removal from within Zanu PF ranks, cited "catastrophic mismanagement" behind soaring unemployment (over 20%) and a brain drain of 3 million skilled workers since 2017.
The New York Times reported in 2025 how everyday items like cheese symbolize broader dysfunction, with informal markets thriving amid formal sector collapse. Experts like those at the Overseas Development Institute attribute the 2017-2025 stagnation to elite capture, where resources flow to loyalists via opaque tenders, rather than productive investment. The term extension, per opposition analyses, risks further entrenching this by delaying reforms, as seen in the unheeded 2019 civil servant protests against Mugabe-era legacies now compounded by Mnangagwa's fiscal indiscipline.
Underlying Corruption
Corruption permeates Zanu PF's core, with Mnangagwa at its epicenter, and the term extension is perceived as a shield against probes into scandals that have hollowed out public coffers.
The U.S. Treasury's March 2024 sanctions directly targeted Mnangagwa for facilitating gold smuggling networks, involving his family and aides in laundering billions through Dubai, depriving Zimbabwe of revenue amid a $14 billion external debt. Wikipedia chronicles a litany of Zanu PF scandals since 1980, including the 2016 Command Agriculture graft (implicating Mnangagwa) and ongoing "catch-and-release" by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC), where elites are arrested for optics but rarely convicted due to judicial capture.
Al Jazeera's 2025 opinion piece lambasts all Zanu PF factions as "woefully corrupt," with the extension bid enabling unchecked patronage—e.g., allocating mining concessions to allies like Tagwirei, whose Sakunda Holdings benefited from fuel deals worth $1.5 billion.
The U.S. State Department's 2022 human rights report details how corruption fuels repression, with ZACC's selective enforcement protecting insiders while activists like Jacob Ngarivhume face jail for anti-graft protests.
On X, users decry it as "evil bribery," linking graft to inflation and service collapse, while internal party voices like Chiwenga now invoke anti-corruption rhetoric amid succession jockeying. This rot, per CNN's 2024 coverage, has isolated Zimbabwe, with China and Russia as enablers, underscoring how the 2030 push prioritizes elite entrenchment over national renewal.In summary, while Zanu PF frames the extension as continuity for development, evidence across sources paints it as a culmination of systemic failures that prioritize power retention over Zimbabwe's democratic and economic aspirations. International pressure and domestic resistance may yet force a reckoning, but history suggests entrenched interests will resist.