ZANU PF’S TERM LIMIT TRICK IS AN INSULT TO THE PEOPLE

Some ZANU PF officials, their lawyers and their political helpers are now saying something that makes no sense at all. They are telling the nation that even though the constitution says a president must only serve two terms, it does not fix how long each term should be. They want people to believe that the two terms are fixed, but the length of the term can be changed without a referendum. This is not only a strange idea. It is an idea with no truth in it. It is an idea designed to help President Emmerson Mnangagwa keep power until 2030 without asking the people of Zimbabwe. It is a trick, and it is wrong.

This idea has no link to the words of the constitution, the meaning of the constitution or the values of a democracy. It is something pushed by people who want to hold on to power even when the law is clear. The term limits in Zimbabwe were added to the constitution in 2013 for a reason. They were meant to stop one person from staying in power for too long. They were meant to make sure that leaders change peacefully and that elections happen every five years. This came from the long and painful rule of Robert Mugabe, who was pushed out in 2017 by Mnangagwa and the army because he had stayed too long.

The constitution clearly says a president can only serve two five year terms. That is written in Sections 91 and 95. It cannot be twisted. It cannot be changed without a referendum. And even if the constitution is changed, the person who is already in office cannot benefit from that change. That rule is also in the constitution. Mugabe himself agreed to this part in 2013 after long and difficult talks. Even in the year 2000, during a state run constitution making process, this issue almost caused the whole thing to fail. It was also a big issue in 2013.

But today ZANU PF leaders and their lawyers are pushing a lie. They now want the country to believe that the constitution has a hole in it and that this hole allows Mnangagwa to stay in power longer without a referendum. They are calling it a gap in the law. But there is no gap. When you look at the history, the process, the purpose of the constitution and the basic principles of democracy, it becomes clear that they are simply making excuses. They want to change the rules in the middle of the game.

This argument started being pushed in public by Professor Jonathan Moyo, even though ZANU PF leaders had been talking about it quietly. But the party itself is divided. Mnangagwa and his group support this idea because it keeps him in power. Vice President Constantino Chiwenga and his side do not support it. Some people in ZANU PF know the truth, like Patrick Chinamasa. He told the party conference in Bulawayo last year that for Mnangagwa to stay until 2030, he would need a party resolution and then two national referenda. One referendum to remove term limits. Another one to allow the sitting president to benefit from that removal.

Mnangagwa keeps saying he respects the constitution. This is strange because he became president through a coup. In public he pretends to follow the law, but behind the scenes he is pushing for changes the wrong way. He knows this is illegal. He knows he cannot do it openly. That is why he is trying to do it silently like other authoritarian leaders across Africa.

There is nothing new about this. Other dictators on the continent have done the same thing. These actions have caused anger, protests, violence and coups in many countries. They destroy peace and bring fear. They do not help anyone. They only help a small group stay in power.

What ZANU PF is doing is dangerous. It is disrespectful. It is despotic. And it must be stopped.