The Citizens for Coalition Change (CCC), Zimbabwe’s main opposition party, is gearing up to fight against a new plan by the ruling Zanu PF party that could allow President Emmerson Mnangagwa to stay in power beyond 2028. Zanu PF is pushing to change the Constitution to remove the limits on how many terms a president can serve, which could extend Mnangagwa’s rule.
Recently, Zanu PF held meetings to discuss their plans for a national conference in October, where one of the main topics will be changing the Constitution to let Mnangagwa run for more than two terms. Although Mnangagwa has publicly stated twice that he does not intend to extend his presidency beyond 2028, many are skeptical about his intentions.
Currently, Zanu PF holds a strong majority in Parliament, which gives them the power to make constitutional changes. However, under the current laws, any amendments to term limits would not benefit Mnangagwa directly. This means he would still be ineligible for another term unless additional changes are made.
CCC spokesperson Promise Mkwananzi told NewsDay that the opposition party is planning a strong campaign to prevent any changes to the Constitution. “We are completely against changing the Constitution just to benefit one person. It goes against democratic values,” Mkwananzi said. “If they try to push this through, there will need to be a referendum, and we believe the people of Zimbabwe will reject this move.”
The CCC is also calling for political and electoral reforms rather than changes that only serve the interests of a few. There has been widespread criticism, even within Zanu PF, about the push to amend the Constitution.
Tapiwanashe Chiriga, from Heal Zimbabwe Trust, argued that the country has more pressing concerns than spending money on a referendum to change the Constitution. “To remove term limits, it would require not one but two referendums, which is a waste of resources when there are more urgent issues to address,” Chiriga said.
The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, another advocacy group, said they will use every legal avenue to stop the government’s efforts to change the Constitution. “We are committed to a democratic Zimbabwe where the people’s voice matters,” the group said.
Legal experts, like those from the think-tank Veritas, explained that changing the presidential term limits would be very complicated and would require multiple amendments to the Constitution. “The current Constitution clearly states that a person cannot be elected president if they have already served two terms,” Veritas noted. “Any attempt to amend this would need to follow a strict process, including public consultations, a two-thirds majority in Parliament, and possibly a national referendum.”
Even if the Constitution is amended to allow more terms, the changes would not apply to Mnangagwa unless another part of the law, section 328(7), is also amended. This section specifically prevents current officeholders from benefiting from changes to term limits. To make Mnangagwa eligible for a third term, the government would have to change this section, which would also require a national referendum.
The debate over presidential term limits is heating up in Zimbabwe, and both sides are preparing for a tough battle ahead. Whether the ruling party will succeed in changing the Constitution remains uncertain, but the opposition is ready to fight back every step of the way.
Source: Newsday
