Zimbabwe’s president says he will step down after his second term ends in 2028

September 3 (EUROPA PRESS) –

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa said on Monday that he would step down after his second term ends in 2028 because he considers himself a “constitutionalist,” after several officials spoke of his intention to extend his rule until 2030.

“I am in my second term and I already know the date I will step down. In 2028 I will go home and others will take over. This question of a third term does not arise, especially under my mandate. No. I am a constitutionalist. It means I follow the law,” he said during a press conference from Beijing and shared on his social media account X.

Mnangagwa, 81, who came to power after the coup against Robert Mugabe, who had led the country since 1980, was re-elected in August 2023 for a new term with 52 percent of the votes against Nelson Chamisa, who came second with 44 percent of the votes.