ZANU-PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa has dismissed suggestions that the push to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s stay in office to 2030 is a political manoeuvre to shut out Vice President Constantino Chiwenga from succeeding him.
Speaking to SABC News Mutsvangwa said Chiwenga is not automatically entitled to take over leadership and would, like any other politician, have to seek a mandate from the electorate.
“It is not that we do not want him. He can declare his candidacy,” Mutsvangwa said. “There is no provision in the Zimbabwean constitution that the vice president is the automatic leader of the country afterwards. This is not a papacy. This is a democratic country, and people go to elections.”
Mutsvangwa said Chiwenga was simply “one of many” senior figures with ambitions for higher office. Recently co-opted into the Central Committee, Kudakwashe Tagwireyi is the other name being bandied about as the potential successor to President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
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President Mnangagwa has repeatedly indicated that he would step down in 2028 but appears to be driving the ZANU-PF faction pushing for his term extension.
At the conference held in Mutare last month, the party endorsed the term-extension resolution, arguing that allowing Mnangagwa to continue until 2030 would ensure continuity for the Vision 2030 national development agenda.
Many ordinary Zimbabweans, opposition politicians, lawyers have expressed and civic groups have expressed dismay at the resolution to tamper with the Constitution.
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