MNANGAGWA’S PLAN TO BREAK THE CONSTITUTION AND STAY IN POWER

In November 2017, Emmerson Mnangagwa became president of Zimbabwe after a military coup removed Robert Mugabe from power. Many people thought this would bring change. But things did not change. In fact, in some ways, things got worse. Mnangagwa has become just like Mugabe. Now, he wants to stay in power longer by breaking the constitution. This is not a normal change. It is a coup against the constitution.

The plan to stay in power longer was shared by Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi. He told cabinet that they should change the constitution. This plan is called Constitutional Amendment No. 3. The change will give Mnangagwa two or three more years in office. But many people say this is not legal. It is not democratic. It is wrong.

This plan is not new. It was first brought by Bikita South MP Energy Mutodi. After ZANU PF had its big conference in Bulawayo last year, they said Mnangagwa could rule for more years if he wants. Instead of going through the correct legal way to change the constitution, they are now using parliament to help Mnangagwa stay in power.

At first, the idea was to give Mnangagwa a third term. But they found out that this would be very hard. It would need two referenda. That is too complicated. So they dropped that idea. Now, they have a new plan. They want to extend the life of parliament and delay elections. If elections are delayed by two or three years, Mnangagwa can stay in power longer. But this is still not legal.

Many lawyers have said this is against the law. Parliament cannot just decide to stay longer. Parliament also cannot cancel or delay elections. The law does not allow that. If Mnangagwa wants to change term limits, he must go to a referendum. But even if the people agree in a referendum, the law says the current president cannot benefit from that change. To change that, he would need a second referendum.

Some people believe two referenda would allow him to benefit. Others say the president should never benefit from such changes. The people who wrote the constitution made it clear: no president should change the law to stay in power. That was to stop people like Mugabe from ruling forever. Now Mnangagwa wants to break that rule.

What Mnangagwa and Ziyambi are doing is called a coup against the constitution. A coup does not always need guns. Sometimes it is done by changing the law in illegal ways. The constitution is the highest law in the land. Breaking it or changing it unfairly is a very serious thing. It hurts democracy. It hurts freedom.

When the government breaks its own rules, it becomes dangerous. People lose trust. Institutions stop working. This kind of government does not listen to the people. It only wants to stay in power.

In Zimbabwe, there have always been worries about too much power in the hands of one person. Mnangagwa is doing just that. He is trying to extend his time in office without following the rules. Lawyers have called this a coup against the constitution.

The rules in the constitution are there for a reason. They protect democracy. They make sure leaders do not stay in power forever. Term limits help new leaders bring fresh ideas. They stop one person from having too much power.

Mnangagwa says he wants to stay for the good of the country. But many people do not believe him. This is not about progress. It is about power. It is about control. And that is a big danger for Zimbabwe’s future.