Governance experts warn that a renewed push to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term to 2037 risks undermining economic and political stability.
Zanu PF's Harare and Masvingo provincial executives' recently said Mnangagwa deserved to have his term of office extended beyond 2030.
Mnangagwa’s term was initially expected to end in 2028 before the passing of Constitutional Amendment Act Number 3 (CAA3).
Analysts warned that calls to extend his rule to 2037 are "reckless, presumptuous and likely to fuel negative sentiment" that could upset recent economic gains.
Critics questioned the timing and motives behind the fresh push.
The push for Mnangagwa to stay beyond his current term has drawn unflattering comparisons with Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega, who has banned elections.
Governance expert Sydicks Muradzikwa said such statements are politically premature and risk perpetuating the toxicity associated with Zimbabwe's election cycles.
"If the rationale is that elections create instability, then repeatedly debating presidential term extension before CAA3 has even been fully implemented risks keeping the country in a constant state of political contestation rather than focusing on governance and economic delivery," he said.
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Muradzikwa added that markets and development partners value policy certainty.
"Sustained speculation over extended constitutional changes can create unnecessary uncertainty that is not helpful for the economy or successful implementation of National Development Strategy 2."
Tshwane University of Technology lecturer Ricky Mukonza said the pronouncements reveal a leadership preoccupied with power retention rather than national development.
"How do they even begin to talk about another amendment when CAA3 has just been approved?" he asked, warning that such loose talk risked undermining socio-economic stability.
Intelwatch executive director Piers Pigou described the calls as a "desperate sycophantic and clumsy effort to demonstrate relevance" in a patronage-driven political space.
He noted that while the International Monetary (IMF) and World Bank have lauded fiscal reforms, they have a history of selective engagement and "unwittingly insulate Zimbabwe from candid introspection" on corruption and institutional decay.
“It's not in Zimbabwe's interest to even introduce this subject at this particular time,” he said.
Analysts agreed that Zimbabwe's national interest would be better served by consolidating progress with international financial institutions and implementing existing reforms.
"Opening another debate on extending presidential tenure, especially when CAA3 is still in its infancy, undermines policy consistency," Muradzikwa said.
"Priority must be implementation of agreed reforms rather than fresh controversies."
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