Bid launched to extend Zimbabwe president’s term in office

Zimbabwe’s
cabinet
has
approved
draft
legislation
that
would
allow
President
Emmerson
Mnangagwa,
83,
to
extend
his
stay
in
office
until
at
least
2030.

Presidents
would
be
chosen
by
MPs
rather
than
in
a
direct
vote
and
could
serve
a
maximum
of
two
seven-year
terms,
rather
than
the
current
five-year
terms,
under
the
proposals.

Justice
Minister
Ziyambi
Ziyambi
said
public
consultations
would
be
held
before
the
bill
heads
to
parliament
for
debate,
where
both
chambers
are
dominated
by
the
ruling
Zanu-PF
party.

Legal
challenges
are
likely
as
constitutional
experts
argue
a
referendum
is
needed
if
term
limits
are
changed
–
and
also
point
out
that
such
amendments
cannot
benefit
a
sitting
president.

Mnangagwa,
who
first
came
to
power
in
2017
after
a
military
coup
ousted
long-time
leader
Robert
Mugabe,
won
a
presidential
election
the
next
year
and
a
second
term
in
2023
–
though
the
results
were
disputed.

Known
as
“the
crocodile”
because
of
his
political
cunning,
his
final
five-year
term
is
due
to
expire
in
2028.

In
a
referendum
held
13
years
ago,
Zimbabweans
overwhelmingly
voted
for
a
new
constitution
that
introduced
presidential
term
limits
when
Mugabe’s
grip
on
power
seemed
entrenched
–
he
had
ruled
the
country
since
independence
in
1980.

Hints
that
Mnangagwa,
who
was
once
Mugabe’s
deputy
until
they
fell
out
over
the
growing
political
ambitions
of
the
then-first
lady,
wanted
to
stay
in
power
beyond
2028
started
two
years
ago.

The
slogan
“2030
he
will
still
be
the
leader”
began
to
be
chanted
at
Zanu-PF
rallies
with
his
supporters
saying
he
needed
to
remain
in
office
to
complete
his
“Agenda
2030”
development
programme
–
though
President
Mnangagwa
publicly
rejected
the
idea.

He
has
faced
some
fierce
detractors
within
Zanu-PF,
but
his
main
critic
–
Blessed
Geza,
also
known
as
“Bombshell”
–
died
last
week.

This
time
last
year
Geza,
a
respected
veteran
of
the
1970s
war
of
independence
and
then
member
of
Zanu-PF’s
powerful
central
committee,
had
launched
a
scathing
attack
on
Mnangagwa’s
ambition
to
stay
in
power.

He
apologised
for
helping
him
come
into
office
and
accused
the
president
of
nepotism
in
his
bid
to
stay
in
office
beyond
2028.

Zanu-PF
expelled
Geza
from
the
party
for
disloyalty
and
he
was
forced
into
hiding.

Yet
he
continued
to
attract
a
large
following
on
social
media,
where
he
regularly
posted
videos
calling
for
protests.

Hours
before
his
death
a
message
posted
on
his
social
media
pages
urged
Zimbabweans
to
carry
forward
the
“noble
war”
to
remove
President
Mnangagwa
and
“end
the
plunder
of
our
country”.

He
was
in
South
Africa
when
his
family
announced
his
death
on
Friday.

“At
a
time
when
silence
would
have
been
easier,
he
chose
to
speak
out
against
corruption
and
nepotism
that
continue
to
undermine
the
promise
of
independence,”
Andrease
Ethan
Mathibela,
national
chairman
of
the
influential
Zimbabwe
National
Liberation
War
Veterans
Association,
said.

The
government
is
now
forging
forward
with
its
2030
plans
for
Mnangagwa
and
says
the
intention
behind
the
draft
law
is
to
strengthen
governance
and
bring
political
stability.