Harare, Zimbabwe – Former Harare East legislator Tendai Biti has made a bold claim that President Emmerson Mnangagwa is secretly seeking an extension of his term in office, despite public statements to the contrary.
Speaking on a YouTube podcast, Biti accused the President of following a pattern common among African leaders, asserting that the president’s denials of wanting to extend his rule are merely a facade.
Biti highlighted the contradictions between the rhetoric of Zimbabwe’s leadership and their actions, saying, “This lot never say they want. It is always the people who want. But they always respected the people and said, ‘what can I do?’” He further claimed that the president’s apparent reluctance to extend his tenure mirrored the tactics of other leaders, such as those in Burkina Faso and Somalia, who Biti argued, also professed not to seek power but claimed the people demanded it.
He added, “The playbook is being replayed in Zimbabwe. The president is the most powerful man in this country. If he genuinely didn’t want it, this nonsense would stop.”
However, President Mnangagwa has consistently dismissed the idea of an extended term. In recent public statements, including at the Zanu PF Annual People’s Conference, Mnangagwa reiterated his commitment to the country’s constitution, which limits the presidential term to two five-year terms.
At the same conference, Zanu PF Secretary for Legal Affairs Patrick Chinamasa addressed concerns about a proposed extension of Mnangagwa’s term, which some party members had suggested could run until 2030. Chinamasa revealed that he had sought clarification from the president on the matter through a series of meetings, including one where he brought a witness for assurance.
He confirmed that President Mnangagwa remained firm in his position, stating, “I am a constitutionalist. I will abide by the Constitution, which limits presidential terms, and I have no intention of serving beyond 2028.”
