HARARE – Constitutional law expert Professor Lovemore Madhuku has warned that proposals to amend Zimbabwe’s Constitution to remove or extend presidential term limits serve only the interests of President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his inner circle, not the nation.
Speaking amid growing debate within ZANU PF over the possibility of extending Mnangagwa’s stay in office beyond 2028, Madhuku said such manoeuvres undermine democratic principles and betray the spirit of the 2013 Constitution.
“Changing the Constitution to remove or extend the President’s term of office is not in the national interest or good for the country. It only benefits President Mnangagwa and those around him,” he said.
🔴Changing the constitution to remove or extend terms of office for the President is not in the national interest or good for the country as it only serves the interests of President Emmerson Mnangagwa and those around him, says Lovemore Madhuku, a professor of law.
Zanu PF… pic.twitter.com/kLmN0cDnNk— TheNewsHawks (@NewsHawksLive) October 20, 2025
Madhuku also criticised the ruling party’s internal processes, describing them as chaotic and undemocratic. “ZANU PF itself is divided over this issue. They just make noise at their conferences, and the loudest noise becomes what they then call a resolution to amend the national Constitution,” he added.
His remarks come as speculation intensifies that some ZANU PF structures are pushing for a two-year extension of Mnangagwa’s term under the pretext of aligning it with the government’s Vision 2030 economic agenda — a move that has drawn criticism from both political analysts and civil society.
Observers warn that any attempt to tamper with term limits could deepen political tensions and erode public trust in the country’s constitutional framework.
