While the streets of Harare and Bulawayo hummed with the quiet desperation of citizens navigating a crumbling economy, a far more surgical operation was being conducted within the sterile corridors of Munhumutapa Building. The recent Cabinet approval of the Constitutional Amendment Bill (2026) was not merely a routine legal procedure; it was a calculated political masterstroke executed with the kind of precision usually reserved for military manoeuvres.
As Zimbabweans queued for basic commodities and grappled with the daily erosion of their purchasing power, the executive moved with startling speed to extend presidential terms from five to seven years, effectively resetting the clock for President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
The sudden acceleration of this ‘2030 Narrative’ has exposed the raw nerves of a ruling party locked in a fierce internal struggle for survival and succession. What was once whispered in the dark corners of ZANU-PF provincial meetings—the “ED2030” and “Anenge Achipo” (he will still be there) slogans—has now been codified into a legislative agenda that threatens to dismantle the 2013 ‘People’s Constitution’. This investigative piece deconstructs the internal power dynamics that forced this sudden move, revealing a story of ‘Midnight Clauses’, secret lobbying, and a Vice President whose fury nearly derailed a cabinet session.
The Midnight Clash: “I am the President!”
The tension that has been simmering within the ZANU-PF presidium boiled over on Tuesday, 10 February 2026, during a cabinet meeting that sources describe as one of the most hostile in recent memory. Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, the retired army general who led the 2017 military coup, arrived not just with his usual retinue, but with a set of prepared notes and a visible sense of grievance. Beside him sat Anselem Sanyatwe, the recently retired Zimbabwe National Army commander now serving as Sports Minister, who also appeared ready for a confrontation.
The spark was ignited when Attorney-General Virginia Mabhiza began outlining the legal framework for the proposed amendments. When she suggested that the changes—which include moving from direct presidential elections to a system where Parliament elects the head of state—were modelled on the examples of South Africa and Botswana, Chiwenga could no longer contain himself. In a breach of cabinet etiquette that stunned those in attendance, he angrily interjected.
“Don’t mention South Africa,” Chiwenga reportedly barked at the Attorney-General. “It is not independent and should not be mentioned in the same breath as liberation movements that fought to liberate their countries.”
The room fell into a heavy silence as Chiwenga continued his tirade, insisting that South Africa “has no independence day” and was therefore “no example at all” for Zimbabwe. The outburst was more than a history lesson; it was a direct challenge to the legal justification of a bill designed to keep Mnangagwa in power. President Mnangagwa, visibly irritated, was forced to intervene directly. “Mnangagwa told Chiwenga to calm down, saying ‘we all must be honest about the ethos of the liberation struggle,’” a source briefed on the meeting revealed. When Chiwenga insisted on finishing his prepared remarks, Mnangagwa reportedly barked back: “I’m the president!”
The ‘2030 Narrative’ and the Succession Trap
The rush to approve the Constitutional Amendment Bill (2026) is widely seen by constitutional experts as a move to neutralise internal succession battles before the next party elective congress. By extending the presidential term to seven years, the amendment effectively pushes the next major electoral hurdle beyond the current constitutional limit of 2028, stretching Mnangagwa’s mandate to 2030.
For Chiwenga and his allies, the proposed removal of direct presidential elections is the most bitter pill to swallow. Under the new model, the head of state would be selected by Members of Parliament rather than the general electorate. Chiwenga fears this system would weaken the authority of the party leader and make leadership outcomes vulnerable to manipulation by the “well-heeled” members of the party—those wealthy businessmen and elites who have increasingly surrounded Mnangagwa.
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Key Proposed Amendment
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Current Status
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Proposed Change
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Presidential Term
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5 Years
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7 Years
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Election Method
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Direct Universal Suffrage
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Election by Parliament
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Term Limits
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Two-term limit (10 years)
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Effectively reset by new framework
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Electoral Commissions
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Gender & Peace Commissions active
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Abolished or restructured
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The political theatre in the cabinet room was not just about legal theory; it was about who holds the keys to the future. Defence Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri reportedly pushed back against the military faction, challenging Chiwenga and Sanyatwe’s attempt to claim superior liberation credentials. This internal fracturing suggests that while ZANU-PF maintains a numerical dominance in Parliament, the consensus on how to manage the “Mnangagwa Forever” era is far from settled.
The ‘Legal Coup’: Dismantling the People’s Constitution
Legal scholars have been quick to label the move a “legal coup.” The 2013 Constitution was the result of years of public consultation and cross-party negotiation, yet it is being systematically dismantled through what critics call ‘Midnight Clauses’—hidden provisions that give Parliament unprecedented power to bypass a public referendum.
Section 328 of the 2013 Constitution explicitly requires a national referendum for any amendment that seeks to extend term limits. However, the 2026 Bill attempts to navigate this by altering the very nature of the office and the electoral cycle. Prominent constitutional lawyer Professor Lovemore Madhuku has argued that amendments which fundamentally alter the method of electing a president go beyond ordinary revisions.
“It is fraudulent for ZANU-PF to convert a five‑year mandate into seven years,” says legal scholar and advocate Thabani Mpofu. “The power to amend the constitution cannot reasonably be read to authorise such a subversion. The real issue is the scope of parliament’s amendment powers: they do not extend to undermining the text and spirit of the constitution. Parliament is not parliament Almighty!”
Despite these warnings, the executive seems determined to push through. Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda is expected to table the bill as early as next week, triggering a 90-day public consultation period. However, with ZANU-PF holding a two-thirds majority, many fear these consultations will be a mere formality. Even more cynical is the suggestion that opposition CCC MPs might back the amendments, as the extension of the presidential term would also mean a two-year extension of their own parliamentary tenures and the accompanying perks.
The Purge and the Prize
The backdrop to this constitutional drama is a series of strategic moves by Mnangagwa to consolidate his grip on the security apparatus. In late 2025 and early 2026, the President retired four top generals, a move widely interpreted as a purge of Chiwenga’s remaining allies within the military. This was followed by the appointment of trusted loyalists to key positions, including the swearing-in of Anselem Sanyatwe as a minister, effectively moving him from the barracks to the cabinet where he can be more easily monitored.
The “2030 Secret” is no longer a secret. It is a blueprint for a presidency that refuses to acknowledge the sunset. For the ordinary Zimbabwean, the implications are profound. This is not just about one man’s desire to stay in power; it is about the systematic removal of the citizen’s right to choose their leader directly. By shifting the power of election to a Parliament that can be whipped or bought, the amendment effectively insulates the presidency from the frustrations of a hungry and disillusioned public.
As the bill moves toward Parliament, the “Midnight Clauses” remain the most dangerous weapon in the executive’s arsenal. They represent a calculated bet that the public, exhausted by economic hardship, will not find the energy to resist. But as the fierce clashes in the cabinet room demonstrate, the resistance within the corridors of power is already well underway. Whether this “legal coup” will bring the stability its proponents promise or further fracture a nation already on the brink remains the defining question for Zimbabwe’s future.
In the end, the “Mnangagwa Forever” law is a testament to the enduring power of the liberation struggle’s ghosts. As Chiwenga’s fury showed, the battle for Zimbabwe is still being fought through the lens of the past, even as the future of its democracy is being quietly signed away in the middle of the night.
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