President Mnangagwa wants to stay longer

Constitutional dispute in Zimbabwe: President Mnangagwa wants to stay longer
The government is planning constitutional amendments that violate the constitution. Incumbent President Mnangagwa is to remain in office until 2030 – by which time he will be 87 years old.

Growing tensions and heated debates are the reaction in Zimbabwe to the government's decision to initiate a constitutional amendment that would allow President Emmerson Mnangagwa to remain in office even after the end of his second and currently last constitutional term in 2028 – when he would be 85 years old.

The 2013 constitution, adopted by referendum, limits the number of terms a head of state can serve to two five-year terms for the first time. On Tuesday evening, the cabinet approved a draft bill that extends the president's current term by two years until 2030 and abolishes the direct election of the president by the people. He will then be elected by parliament, as in South Africa and Angola.

The bill is certain to be passed by parliament, where the ruling ZANU-PF (Zimbabwe African National Union/Patriotic Front) has an absolute majority. Legal experts are now warning that such far-reaching constitutional changes without a referendum set a precedent for even more far-reaching encroachments on the rule of law and democracy.

The proposed constitutional amendment is completely unacceptable,” says Professor Lovemore Madhuku, leader of the opposition party NCA (National Constitutional Assembly), which was formed in 2013 out of opposition to the new constitution at the time. “The people who are pushing this forward have no respect for the people. The NCA and I will be at the forefront of a total rejection of these proposals.”

The constitution sets very high hurdles for amendments

Article 328 of the constitution lays down clear rules for fundamental constitutional amendments, such as those relating to the length of the president's term of office. They must first be widely discussed in public, then passed by a two-thirds majority in parliament, and finally approved by the population in a referendum. They also do not apply to incumbent or former presidents. Changing these rules would require separate legislative proposals and referendums, which critics say are now being disregarded. Constitutional lawyer Fadzayi Mahere of the former civil rights group CCC (Citizens Coalition for Change) is calling for a national mobilization to defend democratic norms: “If there was ever a time for all Zimbabweans who love their country to unite, it is now. These planned constitutional changes are the greatest threat to our society in our lifetime. We need new leaders.”

“The proposed constitutional amendment is completely unacceptable,” says Professor Lovemore Madhuku, leader of the opposition party NCA (National Constitutional Assembly), which was formed in 2013 out of opposition to the new constitution at the time. "The people who are pushing this forward have no respect for the people. The NCA and I will be at the forefront of the fight to have these proposals rejected outright."

She likened the plans to the government's previous abuses of power: "They have destroyed our lives, now they want to destroy the constitution. This is the final nail in the coffin for our democracy. Why should a president with very broad powers be afraid to seek a proper mandate from the people? We fought the war of independence for the principle of ‘one person, one vote’, not ‘one MP, one vote’."

Zimbabwe's own history should serve as a warning. Robert Mugabe, who ruled the country from independence in 1980, first as prime minister and then as president, remained in office until the military deposed him during a popular uprising in late 2017. Omar al-Bashir in Sudan in 2019 and Blaise Compaoré in Burkina Faso in 2014 suffered a similar fate. None of these countries has since returned to stability.

There are also voices of concern in neighboring countries. In South Africa, opposition politician Mmusi Maimane, former leader of the largest opposition party DA (Democratic Alliance), called the plans “terrible.” He said, "The longer a brutal dictatorship rules in Zimbabwe, the less we will be able to cope with the migration crisis in South Africa. We cannot tolerate presidents for eternity and family dynasties."

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)