Zimbabwe: 'I Will Still Be Around', Mnangagwa Hints At Staying in Power Until 2035

What the report says

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has indicated he may remain in power beyond the current 2030 endpoint linked to recent constitutional changes, according to New Zimbabwe, which was distributed by AllAfrica. The remarks were made on 10 September 2026 at the Sanganai/Hlanganani Zimbabwe World Tourism Expo in Masvingo, where he said he would “still be around” when the event returned in nine years.

The report says the comments came soon after Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 extended the presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years, moving Mnangagwa’s second and final term from 2028 to 2030. That change has already kept him eligible to remain in office without a 2028 election. The article presents the latest statement as a further signal that his political plans could extend beyond the current constitutional timetable.

New Zimbabwe also cited reaction from the Children of Zimbabwe War Veterans Association, a group linked to Zanu PF, which interpreted the president’s words as a possible hint that he could stay in power until 2037. The article notes that Masvingo has been politically important in earlier discussions about term extension. More broadly, the development matters because it adds to debate in Zimbabwe over presidential tenure, constitutional limits and the prospect of further changes to the political roadmap.