Zimbabwe: 'Mnangagwa Presidential Term Extension Needs No Referendum' - Say Zanu-PF Top Officials

In what smacks of an unbridled attempt to trample upon the country's Constitution, Zanu PF says there will not be any referendum to gauge the public's opinion whether or not President Emmerson Mnangagwa's term in office should be extended beyond 2028.

The latest development comes amid reports that the ruling party has forwarded to Parliament its Annual National People's Conference resolution to stretch the 82-year-old Zanu PF leader's incumbency until 2030 or further.

Addressing the Zanu PF Mashonaland Central Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) meeting held Saturday in Bindura, party national political commissar, Munyaradzi Machacha claimed there is no need for a referendum as the polls will be postponed to 2030 via a Constitutional Amendment.

Machacha said the resolution, which was adopted at the 21st Zanu PF Annual National People's Conference in Bulawayo in October last year, is now in the implementation phase.

"At a party policy meeting last Monday, we agreed to allow the Parliament of Zimbabwe to implement Resolution Number One as presented at the conference. There is no going back in implementing the resolution," he said.

He said those holding divergent views regards the move should have voiced their opinions at the conference or at provincial and district coordinating committee meetings.

"Those who do not support the resolution were free to debate it at the conference, Provincial Coordinating Committee meetings, or District Coordinating Committee meetings. We are now at the implementation stage," he said.

Speaking at a party event in Harare, Zanu PF Harare province chairperson, Godwills Masimirembwa weighed in with the same sentiments that extension did not require a referendum. He said this could be legally done by postponing elections before Mnangagwa clocks three years of his second stay in power.

This, the party argues, would mean Mnangagwa's "second term" would constitutionally not be recognised as a term.

Speaking to journalists after a youth inter-district meeting at Zanu PF's Harare headquarters Saturday, Masimirembwa justified this position saying as long as the principle of term limits was not affected by the decision, no referendum was needed.

Despite Mnangagwa's initial decision not to overstay, his recent silence has given weight to calls by a certain section of Zanu PF supporters and officials for him to hang on up till 2030.

"If Mnangagwa gets to be in power up to 2030, that will not be against presidential term limits," said Masimirembwa.

"What is only needed here is to postpone elections up to 2030. There is no interference with constitutional term limits as has been said. The Zanu PF resolution is in tandem with that.

"The referendum is only necessary if we interfere with the term limit provision, which is a three-year period. If the President serves less than three years, it's not considered a full term. He falls within the term limit of the presidential term provision."

A faction loyal to Mnangagwa is trying to shut out his deputy Constantino Chiwenga from taking over by actioning a 2024 Annual National People's Conference resolution that Mnangagwa should hang on up to 2030.

Although speaking at the same function Mnangagwa said he does not wish to be at government's helm beyond what Zimbabwe's Constitution stipulates (two, five-year terms) his lieutenants betray his desire to continue.

Added Masimirembwa: "There is no need to worry about interference with the term limit, so the party resolution is in tandem with the term limit provision."

Civil society, some serious members in opposition politics and ordinary citizens are gearing to oppose Zanu PF's bid to extend Mnangagwa's term.

The 2030 agenda, started by Masvingo province has been interpreted as an attack on Zimbabwe's 2013 Constitution whose term limits were put in place to avoid a president overstaying as was the case with the late Robert Mugabe.

Although constitutional law expert, Lovemore Madhuku has been quoted saying a third term bid being pursued by Mnangagwa's loyalists is next to impossible, his henchmen are determined to make it happen.

Madhuku said it was an insurmountable task for Mnangagwa to secure a third term.

He said the steps would require a publication of the first Bill where they seek to amend the Constitution.

"Ordinary people will have to debate it within a 90-day period. Thereafter, take it to Parliament. It must get a two-thirds majority both in the National Assembly and in the Senate and thereafter, there must be a referendum," he said.

"We should then vote yes with a majority. Now, that alone tells you that it will be very difficult because I know that in the 90-day period for debate and so on, it will come out very clearly that most Zimbabweans don't support it and when it goes to Parliament, we're not sure how they will vote.

"It cannot be assumed that since Zanu PF has a two-thirds majority they'll obtain the two-thirds majority. They may not obtain the two-thirds majority. But if they get it, they have to go to a referendum."

"That is in respect of the first Bill and then, with a referendum voting yes or no, it will just be a referendum on President Mnangagwa and I don't think that he wants it. It doesn't matter how you couch the Bill.

"When you then go to the stage of voting yes or no, it will be very simple. Do you want the President to continue, or you would want the President to serve 10 years? So, most people that respect the President would simply want him to rest after 10 years. So, when you say possible, I think it might be a very loose word."

He said the Constitution provided procedures for its amendment, but achieving the constitutional thresholds would be difficult.

"So that will be with the Bill number one and then for it to then be signed into law, the President must sign it into law. So Mnangagwa himself will be the one who has to put his signature for the approval to the amendment of the Constitution," Madhuku was quoted saying.

This article was originally published in New Zimbabwe.