Zimbabwe’s political theatre took a disturbing turn today as Sengezo Tshabangu, the self-declared secretary-general of the opposition CCC, publicly endorsed President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s controversial bid to extend his rule beyond the 2028 constitutional limit. Standing before a crowd of over 300 Members of Parliament and senators at Mnangagwa’s Precabe Farm in Sherwood, Tshabangu shamelessly suggested that the president’s continued grip on power could be acceptable if it supposedly brings happiness to Zimbabweans. The betrayal was sealed with loud applause from Zanu PF leaders and the president himself who clapped in approval alongside Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda.
The spectacle was more than political theatre. It was a dangerous signal that Zimbabwe’s fragile democratic hopes are being hijacked by a coordinated alliance between the ruling elite and compromised opposition figures. Tshabangu, who now refers to himself as the CCC leader in parliament, has positioned himself not as a watchdog of democracy but as a cheerleader for authoritarianism. His endorsement of Mnangagwa’s prolonged stay in power follows earlier reports that the opposition had quietly agreed to postpone the 2028 elections to 2030 under the excuse of completing development projects and pushing for reforms. But everyone knows the real agenda is power consolidation.
Mnangagwa’s farm visit was not just a photo opportunity. It was a political statement. His agricultural project is now being paraded as the model of modern farming, and his farm has essentially become the new political command center. It is where decisions that affect the nation are being made, far from the transparency of parliament and public accountability. Today’s event was led by a loyal inner circle that included Mudenda, Zanu PF Chief Whip Pupurai Togarepi and the ever-willing Tshabangu. This is where Zimbabwe’s future is being discussed, not in democratic institutions but in private fields dressed up as national showcases.
Mnangagwa has taken this moment to revive ancient symbolism by calling himself “Munhumutapa” a title linked to long-dead Shona emperors. He has even gone as far as declaring September 15 Munhumutapa Day. But this romanticised imperial image is a smokescreen for political ambition. His plan to stay in power until 2030 is not just about legacy building. It is about breaking the constitutional order. The current constitution limits presidential terms to two and prohibits an incumbent from benefiting from any change to these limits. Overturning this would require not one but two national referendums. Still, Mnangagwa is forging ahead, hoping his control over parliament and new political alliances will bulldoze these legal safeguards.
But not everyone is clapping. Vice President Constantino Chiwenga and his military-aligned faction are reportedly fuming. According to sources, Mnangagwa was supposed to step down in 2023 as part of the power-sharing deal that followed the 2017 coup. His decision to run for a second term was already a betrayal. Now with this new 2030 plan the betrayal is complete. The internal war within Zanu PF is real and growing. Chiwenga and his allies see Mnangagwa’s maneuvers as a threat to their own political futures and a violation of the coup-era pact.
The Zanu PF conference in Bulawayo last year may have endorsed Mnangagwa’s extended rule but it did not silence dissent. The battle lines are drawn. What lies ahead could be the most intense and dangerous period in Zimbabwe’s political history since 2017. With factionalism rising and institutions weakened the country may be headed for a dramatic showdown.
As the sun sets on another day in Sherwood the people of Zimbabwe are left wondering whose voices really matter. Is this about the will of the people or the hunger for power. Tshabangu’s endorsement of Mnangagwa is not a gesture of national unity. It is a declaration of betrayal. The fight for Zimbabwe’s future has entered a darker chapter and every citizen must decide where they stand before it is too late.
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