Staff Reporter Harare- A petition tabled in Parliament this week is pressing lawmakers to resist any attempts to amend Zimbabwe’s Constitution to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s rule beyond 2028.
The petition, submitted by FORUS leader Manyara Muyenziwa, warns that the ruling party’s “ED 2030” campaign could derail the country’s electoral calendar and plunge Zimbabwe into a constitutional crisis.
“The ED 2030 campaign is unconstitutional and logistically impossible within the remaining time before the 2028 elections. Parliament must stand as the guardian of democracy, not a facilitator of authoritarianism,” Muyenziwa wrote.
Zimbabwe’s Constitution mandates elections every five years, with Section 91(2) limiting presidents to two terms and Section 328(7) barring incumbents from benefitting from amendments made during their tenure.
Mnangagwa, who took power in 2017 before winning elections in 2018 and 2023, is serving his second and final term, which ends in 2028.
According to the petition, extending his rule would require altering entrenched constitutional clauses, passing them through Parliament with a two-thirds majority, and winning approval in a referendum—all before the 2028 polls.
“Zimbabwe is less than three years away from its next scheduled vote. There is neither time nor legal space to rewrite the Constitution without breaking it,” Muyenziwa argued.
The petition also alleges ZANU PF is weighing postponing the 2028 elections to buy time for constitutional amendments, a move Muyenziwa said would breach Section 158, which makes five-year election cycles compulsory.
Supporters of ED 2030 maintain continuity of leadership is key to realizing Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030, aimed at transforming the country into an upper-middle-income economy. Critics, however, say the campaign is a top-down effort to entrench power under the guise of “popular demand.”
The petition ends with a direct appeal to lawmakers
“Let the elections proceed as scheduled. Let the people of Zimbabwe choose their future. Parliament must reject any attempt to amend Sections 91 and 328 for the benefit of the incumbent.”
