The political landscape in Zimbabwe is heating up as Zanu PF, the ruling party, has begun pushing for constitutional amendments to allow President Emmerson Mnangagwa to remain in power beyond 2028, when his current term is due to expire.
This move, despite Mnangagwa’s own pronouncements about respecting term limits, has sparked a fierce response from within the party and beyond, raising serious concerns about the future of Zimbabwe’s democracy.
The push for a third term for Mnangagwa has been spearheaded by Zanu PF’s provincial branches, who argue that he needs to remain in power to oversee the completion of various development projects.
This argument, however, has been met with resistance from political analysts and opposition figures, who warn that such a move would be a blatant disregard for the Constitution and could trigger a cascade of unforeseen consequences. There is also a strong belief that the ED2030 campaign is meant to keep Vice President Constantino Chiwenga away from clinching the highest office on the land as he is perceived to be the one most likely to succeed President Mnangagwa if he were to leave office.
“Zanu PF has never respected the Constitution. So because Tshabangu gave them two-thirds in Parliament, they will tinker around with the two-term clause. If that happens, the consequences will be tectonic,” declared political analyst Rejoice Ngwenya.
Ngwenya painted a picture of the potential fallout, outlining a scenario that could plunge Zimbabwe into a vortex of political chaos:
“First, there will be a bloody internal rebellion in Zanu PF and we may end up with the November 2017 ‘military intervention’. Secondly, opposition supporters and CSOs will riot. Third, the international business community will shun Zimbabwe, the dollar collapses against the ZiG and mass emigration of young people,” he warned.
The echoes of November 2017, when the military intervened to remove Robert Mugabe from power, still resonate in the minds of many Zimbabweans. The specter of a repeat of that tumultuous period hangs heavy in the air, casting a dark shadow over the country’s future.
The calls for Mnangagwa to stay in power come despite his own pronouncements about respecting term limits. In recent speeches, Mnangagwa has declared his commitment to upholding the national constitution and respecting its term limits.
“Besides being a soldier, I am a trained lawyer. I am a constitutionalist. I want our party, our leadership, our people to be constitutionalists. We must abide by the provisions of our constitution to the letter. Kana nguva yekuti uende [yakwana], enda (If your time to go comes, leave),” he said.
This announcement came as a surprise to many within Zanu PF, who have been pushing for Mnangagwa to remain in power beyond 2028, the end of his second term.
Last month in Mutare, Mnangagwa hinted at his impending departure, stating, “I did my first five years, so I am serving my last five years, which I will complete soon, and I will go to rest. We will go to Congress and look for someone who will succeed me. My days to rest are close; we will go to Congress and choose the one who will follow in my footsteps.”
However, despite Mnangagwa’s pronouncements, several Zanu PF provincial branches are still lobbying for him to extend his rule, citing the need to oversee the completion of various developmental projects, the same way former president Robert Mugabe was being lobbied to name his successor by members of the G40 faction when he kept reiterating that he was not going to name any successor as the party’s national congress was the only organ that would do that.
Zanu PF Harare Province held its provincial inter-district conference yesterday to come up with draft resolutions that will be presented to the party leadership at the annual conference in Bulawayo. One of the key draft resolutions made was to request relevant authorities to make necessary constitutional amendments to allow President Mnangagwa to continue with his work.
Speaking at the party headquarters yesterday, Zanu PF Harare provincial chairman Cde Godwills Masimirembwa said the most critical resolution which came out of the provincial inter-district conference was that the province was “united in that President Mnangagwa should continue to lead the country beyond 2028”.
“The most critical issue which comes is that the Constitution of Zimbabwe must be amended to enable him to continue to lead beyond 2028,” he said.
“We are aware that there are constitutional limitations; first of all, it says the President serves for a maximum of two terms of five years each. There is that window of extending the number of years for each term, or tentatively we can remove the term limit from two terms to three terms or scrap the term limit altogether.”
Cde Masimirembwa said the other limitation was that if a constitutional amendment was made, it could not benefit the incumbent.
Zanu PF Secretary for Education, Research and Ideology, Cde Charles Tawengwa, said party structures from district level came up with draft resolutions, which will be presented at the conference, mainly calling for constitutional amendments to accommodate President Mnangagwa beyond 2028.
Zanu PF Deputy Secretary for Security Cde Tendai Chirau said party structures were happy with the work being done by President Mnangagwa, hence the call for him to complete and realise Vision 2030.
The meeting was attended by Harare Province vice chairman Cde Ephraim Fundukwa and other senior party members from district level up to Politburo members.
Zanu PF Mashonaland West also resolved yesterday that President Mnangagwa should continue in his position and see through his Vision 2030, among several other resolutions to be presented at the Annual People’s Conference.
The province has also stepped up restructuring and preparations for a by-election in Ward 11, Makande in Kariba District, following the death of the sitting councillor.
Preparations have also started for provincial members to attend the People’s Conference.
The party’s main, youth, war veterans and women’s wings, all resolved that President Mnangagwa’s execution of Vision 2030 priority projects should continue to maintain the development momentum.
The province’s resolutions were presented at the Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) meeting in Nyabira, abut 35km out of Harare along Chinhoyi Road, yesterday.
Provincial chairman Cde Mary Mliswa-Chikoka said the resolutions from the provincial party wings would be consolidated and presented in Bulawayo.
“All the wings in the province had the continuation of President Mnangagwa in his position as their top resolution,” said Cde Mliswa-Chikoka.
“Youths resolved that the youth quota in Parliament should be increased and at least 20 percent of all land allocations should be reserved for youths.”
The Women League resolved that laws to protect widows and children at farms against being dispossessed should be enacted.
Politburo member Cde Ziyambi Ziyambi said the restructuring would be fully implemented to come up with authentic structures that had a bearing on the party’s performance in the next elections.
“We need to take the issue of restructuring seriously so that we come up with authentic structures that reflect our membership,” said Cde Ziyambi.
Deputy National Secretary for the Commissariat Cde Webster Shamu said the restructuring of the party should be done thoroughly according to the instructions of the party.
This push for a third term, despite Mnangagwa’s pronouncements, has sent a chill through the political establishment and sparked widespread anxieties about the potential for instability.
Mutsvangwa told The Standard in an interview that there were attempts to “subvert the party constitution” and coerce Mnangagwa into naming his successor before the right time. He claimed that the plot involved exiled former ministers Saviour Kasukuwere and Walter Mzembi. Kasukuwere and Mzembi have repeatedly distanced themselves from the raging ZANU PF succession wars.
Mutsvangwa said the ZANU PF youths had taken a hardline stance on Mnangagwa’s succession because they were agitated by the alleged unconstitutional manoeuvres.
“The youth are just agitated. They are defending their leader. Some people are trying to foist themselves upon the president. There are some outside attempts to push back the calendar of succession so it’s an apparent attack on the president’s authority, so they are now rallying behind the president. But the agenda is coming from outside the party and the youth are aware and they can’t keep quiet when some people are attempting to subvert the constitution, so they are defending both the party and its leader,” Mutsvangwa said.
The debate over Mnangagwa’s future is set to intensify as Zanu PF gears up for its 21st Annual People’s Conference in Bulawayo from October 22 to 27. The conference is expected to be a platform for the party to formally discuss and endorse the proposed constitutional amendments.
