MNANGAGWA’S THIRD TERM DREAM CRUSHED AS CHIWENGA AND ARMY TAKE CONTROL

President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s plan to stay in power beyond 2028 has hit a dead end. His hopes for a third term have been crushed, and the recent National Youth Day event in Bulawayo made this clear. There were no chants of “2030 ndeya Emmerson,” no songs, and no excitement from his supporters. The silence said it all. The campaign to keep him in power until 2030 is over — and it looks like Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga and the military are the ones who ended it.

At the event, Chiwenga stood calmly next to his wife, looking confident and unmoved. The usual show of support for Mnangagwa was missing. This was not by accident. It was a message. Chiwenga’s military-backed faction is now in control. The silence from Mnangagwa’s own supporters shows that they have been forced to step back. The army has spoken, not with words, but with power.

A few days earlier, military vehicles were seen rolling through the streets of Harare. This rare and bold move sent a strong warning. According to military insiders, the army is “unequivocal” — they do not support a third term for Mnangagwa. For them, 2028 must be the end of his rule. No extensions. No tricks. No more.

Mnangagwa has tried to act like he is not behind the third term campaign. He even told the nation again on Monday that he will retire at the end of his second term. But for months, his allies had been pushing hard for the “2030” slogan. Now that the army has stepped in, the campaign has vanished. Mnangagwa’s backers are no longer shouting. They are scared, and they know the military is serious.

War veterans have also turned against him. This is a big blow. They helped ZANU PF stay in power for decades. But now they are saying Mnangagwa has failed. They want him gone — not in 2028, but now. These voices cannot be ignored. War veterans carry weight in the party and in national politics. If they walk away, the whole system starts to shake.

All of this points to one thing: power is shifting. Chiwenga, the former army general, is now the strongest man in Zanu PF. His deep ties to the military have always made him dangerous to any rival. But now he is no longer hiding in the background. The army supports him, the slogans are gone, and Mnangagwa’s grip on power is slipping fast.

The end of the “2030” dream is not just about slogans. It is about who controls Zimbabwe. The army has reminded everyone that they are still the real power behind the curtain. They helped bring Mnangagwa to power in 2017, and now they are showing him the door. The fact that his own supporters have stopped chanting his name means they now see Chiwenga as the next leader.

Mnangagwa’s fall is not official yet, but it has already started. He may finish his term, but he will do so as a weak and isolated man. Chiwenga is waiting, and it looks like nothing can stop him now.

This is a major turning point in Zimbabwe’s politics. The dream of Emmerson Mnangagwa ruling until 2030 is over. The military has spoken. The people have gone quiet. And the future now belongs to someone else.