TSHABANGU BACKS MNANGAGWA’S 2030 POWER GRAB AS ZIMBABWE EDGES TOWARD CRISIS

Zimbabwe’s political drama took a shocking turn today when Sengezo Tshabangu, a controversial figure claiming to represent the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), openly endorsed President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s plan to extend his rule to 2030. This unexpected declaration came during a high-profile gathering of over 300 MPs and senators at Mnangagwa’s Precabe Farm in Kwekwe.V

Tshabangu, standing before a cheering crowd that included top Zanu PF leaders, declared that Mnangagwa should continue as leader “if it brings happiness to Zimbabweans.” His remarks were met with loud applause from MPs across the political divide. Smiling and clapping alongside him were Mnangagwa himself and Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda.

This moment marked a dramatic twist in Zimbabwe’s political narrative. Tshabangu’s support for delaying the 2028 general elections until 2030 gives Mnangagwa a rare chance to push forward with his power extension plan using Parliament itself. The proposed delay is disguised as a call for “reforms” and project completion, but in truth, it is a calculated move to rewrite the rules and sidestep the constitutional two-term limit.

Mnangagwa, now 81, has increasingly fashioned himself as a modern-day Munhumutapa — an imperial ruler, complete with a national holiday on his birthday, September 15, now called Munhumutapa Day. Today’s farm event doubled as a political rally and a display of his agricultural success, painting him as both a political and farming icon.

Precabe Farm has become Mnangagwa’s command centre. It is here that government meetings, Zanu PF strategy sessions, and now cross-party political alignments unfold. From this base, Mnangagwa is building a coalition not only of his loyalists but of captured opposition voices like Tshabangu.

Yet while this endorsement strengthens Mnangagwa’s hand, it has sparked serious alarm within Zanu PF. Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, once expected to succeed Mnangagwa, is strongly against the 2030 push. His faction, backed by military elites who helped install Mnangagwa in the 2017 coup, views this bid as betrayal. The alliance that overthrew Robert Mugabe is now falling apart, with Mnangagwa and Chiwenga locked in an increasingly dangerous power struggle.

Mnangagwa’s third-term ambitions face serious legal hurdles. Zimbabwe’s Constitution requires a referendum to remove presidential term limits. Even if that hurdle is cleared, a second one blocks the sitting president from benefitting from the change. For Mnangagwa to rule until 2030, this clause must also be removed or rewritten — a move that will demand enormous political maneuvering.

Today’s unity between Zanu PF and Tshabangu’s CCC faction is therefore not just political theatre. It is a real and dangerous alignment that could reshape Zimbabwe’s future. With Parliament potentially behind him, Mnangagwa is laying the groundwork for constitutional changes that would make him ruler for another decade.

But the cost may be high. Chiwenga’s resistance is not symbolic. The military has always played a decisive role in Zimbabwean politics, and their silence — or sudden action — could turn the tide. If Mnangagwa continues to sideline his coup allies, the risk of internal revolt rises sharply.

As the 2030 campaign builds momentum, the battle lines are now clear. Mnangagwa is moving with speed, rallying support and silencing critics, while Chiwenga watches and waits. The coming months could bring a constitutional crisis, a political implosion, or both.

Zimbabweans now face a pivotal moment. Will the Constitution be shredded for one man’s ambition? Or will the country find the courage to resist another decade of authoritarian rule disguised as “development”?