A senior ZANU-PF official said President Emmerson Mnangagwa plans to step down in 2028, as required by Zimbabwe's constitution, despite speculation about extending his presidency. The anonymous source told The Zimbabwe Mail that Mnangagwa wants businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei to succeed him rather than Vice President Constantino Chiwenga. Tagwirei controls petroleum companies and holds interests in the mining and agriculture sectors.
The president allegedly broke an agreement from the 2017 military operation that removed Robert Mugabe. Chiwenga helped orchestrate that intervention and expected to inherit power after one Mnangagwa term. Cabinet changes and party decisions have reduced the vice president's authority within government and ZANU-PF structures.
Opposition leaders called any constitutional amendments to permit a third term anti-democratic. Lawyer Tendai Biti warned that changing term limits would damage investor confidence. Western diplomats expressed concern that succession disputes could reverse the limited diplomatic progress Zimbabwe has achieved since 2017.
The president allegedly broke an agreement from the 2017 military operation that removed Robert Mugabe. Chiwenga helped orchestrate that intervention and expected to inherit power after one Mnangagwa term. Cabinet changes and party decisions have reduced the vice president's authority within government and ZANU-PF structures.
Opposition leaders called any constitutional amendments to permit a third term anti-democratic. Lawyer Tendai Biti warned that changing term limits would damage investor confidence. Western diplomats expressed concern that succession disputes could reverse the limited diplomatic progress Zimbabwe has achieved since 2017.
