KEY POINTS

• ZANU-PF has resolved to align its constitution with proposed national constitutional changes.

• The proposals would extend presidential and parliamentary terms from five years to seven.

• The party has postponed its elective congress from 2027 to 2029 amid signs of possible leadership divisions.

Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF party has resolved to amend its constitution to align it with proposed changes to the country’s national constitution, including plans to extend presidential and parliamentary terms from five years to seven.

The decision was adopted at the party’s National People’s Conference in Chinhoyi, Mashonaland West province, on October 19, 2026.

The party has also postponed its elective congress from 2027 to 2029, a year before President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s proposed extended term is due to end in 2030.

Party seeks to align its constitution

ZANU-PF’s resolution would bring the party’s internal rules into line with the proposed constitutional changes affecting Zimbabwe’s political leadership and parliamentary terms.

Under the proposal outlined in the report, presidential and parliamentary terms would increase from five years to seven years.

The proposed changes would affect the timing of future elections and the length of time elected officials could remain in office. However, the report does not detail the full legislative process or confirm that the national constitutional amendments have been enacted.

Elective congress postponed to 2029

The ruling party has moved its elective congress from 2027 to 2029.

The congress is an important internal party event where leadership positions are contested or renewed. The new date places it one year before Mnangagwa’s extended presidential term is expected to end in 2030 under the proposed changes.

The decision links the party’s internal timetable to the broader constitutional proposals, although the report does not provide further details about how the change would affect individual leadership positions.

Conference exposes possible divisions

Despite adopting the resolutions, the conference also revealed potential divisions within ZANU-PF’s leadership, according to Channel Africa.

The report did not identify the individuals involved or explain the specific issues behind the apparent differences.

The developments come as the party considers changes that could reshape its internal leadership schedule and Zimbabwe’s wider political timeline.