When Emmerson Mnangagwa won the August 2023 elections, he pledged he would not seek re-election in 2028.
Christian leaders in Zimbabwe spoke out jointly against moves to extend presidential term limits.
Activists for the ruling ZANU–PF party activists have in recent months made public calls for constitutional changes that will allow President Emmerson Mnangagwa to extend his rule beyond the scheduled 2028 national polls.
Critics have called the move as unconstitutional, with the Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations (ZHOCD) adding their voice opposing any planned extension of Mnangagwa’s term of office.
Mnangagwa succeeded President Robert Mugabe’s 30-year tenure in 2017 and quickly promised to uphold the constitution. When he won the August 2023 elections, he pledged he would not seek re-election in 2028.
However, despite his public pronouncements, his supporters have pushed for the extension of his rule amid what observers say are succession rifts within the ruling party’s leadership.
“The ZHOCD prayerfully urges His Excellency the President of Zimbabwe, Dr E.D. Mnangagwa to resist the calls and the temptation by those calling for the extension of the presidential term limits for the greater good of the country,” said the Church leaders’ statement dated 21 January.
“The call to extend the presidential term limits and postpone the 2028 elections is an invitation for the president to be a co-conspirator in overthrowing the Constitution of the Country which the president is elected to uphold, respect and defend,” it said.
ZHOCD is an ecumenical body made up of the Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC), the Evangelical Fellowship in Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference and the Union for the Development of Apostolic Churches in Zimbabwe Africa.
In a separate message, the ZCC reiterated the importance of defending the constitution for the promotion of unity.
“Protecting the constitution is key to safeguarding democracy, fostering trust and uniting Zimbabweans for a brighter, more stable future,” the ZCC said in a message posted on social media.