A recent ZANU PF Harare provincial coordinating committee meeting has revealed growing resistance to the ED2030 slogan, which supports extending President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term in office.
NewsDay reported that attendees at the meeting said party members were instructed to refrain from chanting the ED2030 slogan to prevent deepening divisions within the party regarding the issue of term extension.
During the gathering, members are said to have questioned national commissar Munyaradzi Machacha, asking why the slogan was being allowed to circulate when President Mnangagwa has repeatedly stated he does not intend to extend his presidency. In response, Machacha reassured them that ZANU PF plans to elect a new leader in 2027, ahead of the 2028 general elections, offering party members a chance to back their preferred candidates.
Machacha confirmed that Mnangagwa’s current term is set to end in 2028, and the leadership transition would take place before the following general elections.
When contacted for comment on the issue of the ED2030 slogan, party spokesperson Farai Marapira was unavailable, as he was in China. Machacha also declined to comment, directing queries to provincial chairperson Godwills Masimirembwa.
Masimirembwa, speaking to NewsDay on Tuesday, downplayed the tensions surrounding the slogan, stating that the meeting had gone smoothly without incident. He denied that the ED2030 slogan had been discussed but emphasized that a strong warning had been issued to members against spreading misinformation and fostering disunity on social media. He added that the importance of discipline and order within the Harare party structures had been stressed.
Despite this, Masimirembwa has faced criticism for his leadership, with some accusing him of failing to unite the provincial party.
While Mnangagwa has consistently stated that he will not seek an extension beyond his second term, factions within the party—especially those from his Karanga supporters in the Midlands and Masvingo—continue to push for his presidency to be extended to 2030. This drive gained further traction at the recent ZANU PF annual conference in Bulawayo, where the party resolved to amend its constitution, potentially clearing the way for an extension of Mnangagwa’s time in office.
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