Zimbabwe's ruling party, Zanu PF, is seeking to amend the country's constitution to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa's term beyond 2028, despite the president's previous refusal to lead the party and the country beyond his constitutionally mandated two terms.

Under the current constitution, Zimbabwe allows a maximum of two terms for a president, with each term lasting five years. This means that President Mnangagwa's tenure is set to come to an end by 2028. However, a Zanu PF member of parliament and an opposition member of parliament are reportedly planning to introduce a motion in parliament to modify the constitution to extend presidential term limits.

A Zanu PF member, who declined to be named for fear of retaliation, told Studio 7 that they are aware of attempts to modify the constitution to allow Mnangagwa to continue in office after 2028. The member described the move as "madness" and "insanity," stating that there is no reason to extend the president's term and that it is brazenly ridiculous for the opposition to openly advocate for the ruling party to continue ruling.

Justice, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi noted that it is possible to add two more years to the current president's tenure should the people of Zimbabwe be on board. This is not the first time this subject has been brought up. In October last year, the Zanu PF Annual People's Conference adopted a motion requesting President Mnangagwa to lead the party and the country beyond his constitutionally mandated two terms. However, the 82-year-old president refused the offer, reaffirming his commitment to the two-term limit set in Zimbabwe's constitution.

A draft motion in possession of Studio 7, penned by Zanu PF's Energy Mutodi and Charles Moyo of the Citizens Coalition for Change, calls on Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi to urgently bring before the House of Assembly for its approval a constitutional amendment bill that seeks to amend Section 95(b) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe to "allow the term of the president to be extended by any period not exceeding 5 years as shall be determined by parliament."

The opposition has spoken out against the move, with Den Moyo, a member of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, stating that President Mnangagwa can try to pull the wool over the electorate's eyes, but they know that he clandestinely supports the proposals presented by Energy Mutodi and Charles Moyo. Moyo added that this development is a disturbing attack on the Zimbabwean constitution, and they will see if they will even abide by the constitutional demands for a referendum for such a sweeping amendment.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa took office in 2017, replacing controversial President Robert Mugabe, who had reigned for 40 years and refused to vacate his position. The army finally helped to oust the late Robert Mugabe from office, which may be why President Emmerson Mnangagwa is adamantly opposed to reigning for the previous ten years. In 2023, he beat Nelson Chamisa to get a second term, earning 52.6 percent of the vote, compared to Nelson's 44 percent.

The move to extend President Mnangagwa's term has sparked controversy and opposition, with many questioning the motives behind the ruling party's push to amend the constitution. The development raises concerns about the state of democracy in Zimbabwe and the potential for authoritarianism. As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen how the people of Zimbabwe will respond to this move and what implications it will have for the country's political landscape.