Growing Opposition To ED2030 Slogan Exposed At ZANU PF Meeting
A ZANU PF Harare provincial co-ordinating committee meeting held on Sunday revealed increasing opposition to the controversial ED2030 slogan, which advocates for an extension of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term in office.
According to NewsDay, sources who attended the meeting claimed that members were instructed to stop chanting the ED2030 slogan to avoid further divisions within the party over the issue of term extension.
During the meeting, party members reportedly questioned national commissar Munyaradzi Machacha, seeking clarification on why the leadership had been allowing the slogan to circulate when President Mnangagwa has repeatedly stated he will not seek to extend his presidency.
In response, Machacha assured members that ZANU PF would hold elections for a new leader in 2027, providing an opportunity for party members to support their preferred candidates. Said a NewsDay source:
Machacha said the party will select a new leader in 2027 ahead of the 2028 general elections.
Cde Machacha stated that President Mnangagwa’s term ends in 2028.
When contacted for comment on Monday regarding ZANU PF’s position on the controversial ED2030 slogan, party Director for Information and Publicity Farai Marapira said he was in China and could not immediately respond.
Machacha also declined to comment, directing inquiries to provincial chairperson Godwills Masimirembwa.
Masimirembwa, who spoke to NewsDay late Tuesday night, downplayed the tensions surrounding the slogan.
He confirmed that the Sunday provincial meeting had gone smoothly without any incidents.
Masimirembwa said there had been no discussions related to the ED2030 slogan during the meeting.
However, Masimirembwa did mention that a stern warning had been issued to members against spreading “lies and disunity on social media.” He added:
It was resolved that they should be disciplined and there should be order in the party structures in Harare.
Masimirembwa was reportedly heavily criticised and accused of failing to unite the province.
While Mnangagwa has repeatedly stated that he does not seek an extension and will step down after his second and final term, some factions within the party, particularly his Karanga clansmen in the Midlands and Masvingo, are pushing for his presidency to be extended to 2030.
This push gained momentum at the ZANU PF annual conference in Bulawayo last month, where the party adopted a resolution to amend its Constitution, paving the way for the potential extension of Mnangagwa’s term.
More: Pindula News
