What happened in Mutare this past weekend was not just another conference. It was not just party slogans and empty speeches. It was the official launch of a constitutional coup by Zanu PF. The ruling party has now resolved to keep Emmerson Mnangagwa in power beyond his second term, which legally ends in 2028. They are now pushing for him to remain president until 2030. This is not just illegal. It is dangerous. It is unpatriotic. It spits in the face of every Zimbabwean who believed that we had left behind the era of one-man rule.

Ziyambi Ziyambi, the party’s legal affairs secretary, shamelessly declared that he has been assigned to start the process of amending the constitution. He plans to begin within the next year. This announcement is not coming from a fringe figure. It comes from the top, from those who control the levers of power. Mnangagwa himself, who once promised to uphold the constitution and retire peacefully, has not opposed the decision. He is silent because it is his allies who are driving the agenda. They would not dare move without his blessing. This is not governance. It is betrayal.

This is not reform. This is a constitutional coup. And Zimbabwe is not alone. Across Africa, the same toxic trend is taking root. Rwanda, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Togo—the list grows longer by the day. Leaders are rewriting rules to stay in power. Some have scrapped elections. Others have removed term limits under the guise of continuity. It is never about the people. It is always about power. And now, Zimbabwe is next in line.

Yes, there is resistance. Vice President Chiwenga’s camp is not happy. There is infighting in the ruling elite. But we must be clear. The salvation of our democracy will not come from internal party squabbles. Civil society must rise. Opposition voices must grow louder. Legal experts have pointed out that any change like this would require two national referenda. But Zanu PF knows they cannot win a fair referendum. They know the people will say no. So their plan is to bypass the people completely and ram the changes through Parliament. They are afraid. Afraid of democracy. Afraid that a vote could become Mnangagwa’s downfall. And they are right.

Let us not forget how Mnangagwa came to power. He led a coup in 2017 claiming that Robert Mugabe had overstayed. That he had refused to step down. Now he is doing the exact same thing. He is refusing to leave. He is clinging to power, not for the people, but to protect himself and his allies from prosecution. Mnangagwa has been in government for 45 years. He has had his time. If he stays beyond 2028, it will not be out of duty. It will be out of greed.

Removing term limits has a price. And that price is always paid by the ordinary citizen. When leaders overstay, they become immune to accountability. Corruption becomes normalized. Institutions rot. The economy crumbles. We have seen it all before. Mugabe ruled for 37 years and left the country in ruins. Mnangagwa is walking the same path. The only difference is he is wrapping his dictatorship in legal language.

But here is the truth. Most Africans do not support these power grabs. Afrobarometer surveys show that over three quarters of citizens across 34 countries want term limits. People want change. They want leaders who leave office. They want to build nations, not dynasties. But dictators do not care. They want the luxury cars. They want the stolen wealth. They want the immunity. They want power until death.

This is not just a political fight. It is a fight for Zimbabwe’s future. If we let Mnangagwa get away with this, we are declaring the death of democracy. We are handing over the nation to selfish men who fear the people. The time to resist is now. Before 2028 turns into 2030. Before 2030 becomes forever.