ZANU PF politburo member Supa Mandiwanzira has been recorded lying to villagers in rural Chipinge that the party agreed to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa's second term in office to 2030 at its last People's Conference held in Bulawayo.
Mandiwanzira, one of the young Turks in Zanu PF who is likely to lead it if the old guard allows, directed supporters of the ruling party to go forth and start campaigning for Mnangagwa to stay in office, misrepresenting that his stay had been stamped in Bulawayo.
His statement however is false as Mnangagwa took advantage of the October 2024 Bulawayo conference to decline invites to have him stay in office beyond the two-term limits set by Section 91(2) of the constitution.
Mnangagwa told party Secretary for Legal Affairs Patrick Chinamasa that he was: "...a constitutionalist and will abide by the constitution which limits presidential terms."
However, speaking about the '2030 vaMnangagwa vanenge vachitonga' slogan, Mandiwanzira said there was nothing to fear in chanting anymore as all had been agreed at the same gathering.
"There were people who did not want to chant that slogan because they did not agree with it. Democratically they were right," said Mandiwanzira.
"One of the things we agreed at the Bulawayo conference, was that we wanted Mnangagwa to be in office until 2030 because he is our number nine in a football match, the player who keeps on scoring.
"This was presented as having come from the provinces and no one disputed it, all attendants said that is what they wanted.
"Now that we have agreed we are now all supposed to follow our party position and support Mnangagwa's bid for a term that extends to 2030.
"No one should fear doing so, this is about Zanu PF's agreement at the Bulawayo conference. Before going to the conference we could have said it was a Harare, Masvingo project but now we say it is a Zanu PF project."
For Mnangagwa to stay in power beyond the 2028 limit, Zanu PF must push for two key amendments, Section 91(2) which bars him from running for a third term and Section 382(7) stops him from benefiting from the latter's amendment.
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Battle lines are slowly emerging in the ruling party as supporters rooting for Mnangagwa's stay head for what many imagine will be a catastrophic collision with those backing Vice President Constantino Chiwenga to take over.
Chiwenga is widely expected to succeed Mnangagwa despite strong indications that he could choose to rip the constitution into shreds and seek an illegal third term.
Mandiwanzira, who owns broadcaster ZiFM Stereo, is regarded as a strong ally of Mnangagwa, having been part of the former's Cabinet since the 2017 coup that ushered in his 'new dispensation.'
