News
that
Zimbabwe’s
ruling
Zanu
PF
party
wants
to
extend
President
Emmerson
Mnangagwa’s
term
of
office
to
2030
has
drawn
mixed
reactions
from
Zimbabweans
living
in
South
Africa.
Many
say
the
move
reflects
the
deepening
political
stagnation
that
forced
them
to
leave
home
in
the
first
place,
while
others
argue
that
Mnangagwa
has
performed
better
than
his
predecessor,
Robert
Mugabe,
and
deserves
more
time
to
continue
the
country’s
recovery.
IOL
reported
on
Tuesday
that
Zanu
PF
had
announced
plans
to
begin
the
process
of
extending
Mnangagwa’s
term
of
office
by
two
years —
a
move
that,
if
successful,
would
keep
him
in
power
until
2030.
The
proposal
was
formally
endorsed
at
the
party’s
annual
national
people’s
conference
in
the
eastern
city
of
Mutare
over
the
weekend,
where
delegates
instructed
government
structures
to
start
drafting
legislation
to
amend
the
constitution.
Chairperson
of
the
Zimbabwe
Community
in
South
Africa,
Ngqabutho
Nicholas
Mabhena,
warned
that
the
move
would
spell
disaster
for
the
landlocked
nation.
“As
the
Zimbabwe
Community
in
South
Africa
we
condemn
the
action
taken
by
Zanu
PF
to
propose
postponing
elections
to
2030.
We
want
to
participate
in
the
elections
in
2028.
We
want
the
parliament
in
Zimbabwe
to
give
way
for
the
diaspora
vote,”
Mabhena
told
IOL.
“All
of
us,
given
what
is
obtaining
in
South
Africa,
with
Operation
Dudula
and
other
anti-migrant
organisations,
we
believe
that
we
can
only
stabilise
our
economy
when
we
have
resolved
the
political
question.
The
political
question
can
only
be
resolved
through
an
election.
If
elections
are
postponed,
we
do
not
see
any
resolution
of
the
political
question,
which
would
lead
to
rebuilding
of
the
Zimbabwean
economy
so
that
we
who
are
in
South
Africa
can
return
home.”
On
the
other
hand,
prominent
businessman,
lawyer,
and
socialite
Moreboys
Munetsi
said
his
main
concern
was
helping
the
large
number
of
Zimbabweans
in
South
Africa
who
continue
to
face
challenges
around
documentation,
healthcare,
and
employment.
“People
who
are
in
the
diaspora
have
been
left
out
of
economic
opportunities
in
Zimbabwe’s
sectors
like
mining
and
agriculture.
The
environment
here
in
South
Africa
has
become
very
hostile,
especially
to
the
Zimbabwe
community
—
they
really
want
to
go
back
home.
What
makes
Zimbabweans
continue
to
stay
in
South
Africa
is
that
they
have
no
idea
how
to
survive
once
they
get
home,”
Munetsi
told
IOL.
“Perhaps
the
government
of
Zimbabwe
could
avail
some
funding
to
help
its
people,
particularly
those
who
are
in
South
Africa.
You
can
see
foreigners
have
been
blocked
from
accessing
hospitals
and
certain
companies.
So
my
observation
is
that
Zimbabweans
in
South
Africa
desire
to
return
home,
but
they
do
not
know
how
to
survive
once
they
are
in
Zimbabwe.”
On
behalf
of
the
Zimbabwe
Immigration
Federation
and
the
Zimbabwe
Democratic
Congress,
Luke
Mufaro
Dzviti
said
he
was
deeply
disappointed
by
Zanu
PF’s
resolution.
“The
recent
move
by
Zanu
PF
seeking
to
extend
President
Mnangagwa’s
term
to
the
year
2030
is
very
disappointing,
unconstitutional
and
proof
that
Zanu
PF madhalas (old
men)
want
to
capture
Zimbabwe
more
than
what
the
Guptas
and
Vusimuzi
‘Cat’
Matlala
did
in
South
Africa,”
said
Dzviti.
“Extending
Emmerson
Mnangagwa’s
tenure
to
2030
is
a
catastrophe
of
monumental
proportions
to
Zimbabwe
—
to
Zimbabweans
who
are
sick
and
tired
of
Zanu
PF’s
bad
governance,
corruption
and
tyranny.
This
has
come
at
a
time
when
my
party
was
finishing
structures,
a
manifesto
and
other
paperwork
while
fielding
members
of
parliament
in
all
210
constituencies
to
try
and
make
Zimbabwe
great
again
sooner
and
not
in
the
future
of
2030.”
Not
all
Zimbabweans
share
this
view.
Cross-border
truck
driver
Ishmael
Gwatidzo,
a
Zanu
PF
supporter,
welcomed
the
proposed
extension.
“I
think
we
have
not
seen
an
influx
of
Zimbabweans
fleeing
hardship
ever
since
President
Mnangagwa
took
office.
We
must
not
be
quick
to
forget.
The
problem
we
are
faced
with
now
is
how
to
get
Zimbabweans
who
are
in
South
Africa
back
home,
but
a
few
years
back,
there
was
pressure
at
the
border
with
Zimbabweans
fleeing,”
Gwatidzo
said.
“What
you
get
now
is
Zimbabweans
travelling
to
other
countries
like
Botswana,
South
Africa
and
Mozambique
to
buy
goods
and
return
home.
Even
our
road
infrastructure
has
improved.
I
think
Zanu
PF
was
right
—
President
Mnangagwa
has
unfinished
business.”
On
Wednesday, IOL
also
reported
that
former
Zanu
PF
heavyweight
and
cabinet
minister
Saviour
Kasukuwere
rubbished
the
party’s
plan to
extend
Mnangagwa’s
term,
warning
that
it
would
end
badly
for
both
the
president
and
the
country.
Speaking
to
IOL,
Kasukuwere
said:
“He
(Mnangagwa)
is
dreaming,
and
he
has
set
himself
up
for
a
gigantic
failure.
Greediness
knows
no
boundaries,
and
this
will
lead
to
a
huge
disaster
for
the
country.”
Kasukuwere,
once
a
senior
figure
in
the
Zanu
PF
government
led
by
Robert
Mugabe
before
going
into
exile
during
the
2017
military
intervention,
has
become
one
of
the
most
prominent
former
insiders
to
publicly
condemn
the
move
to
extend
Mnangagwa’s
rule.
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
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