Mnangagwa’s views on term limits do not matter says Chinamasa as Zanu PF forges ahead with Constitutional Amendment Bill

President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s stance on upholding the constitution and having no appetite to rule beyond the constitutionally stipulated has been set aside as Zanu PF is stopping at nothing, pushing the Constitutional Amendment Bill, a ruling party top official has said.

This is according to Zanu PF Treasurer General Patrick Chinamasa, setting aside President Mnangagwa’s personal position.

In 2024, President Mnangagwa dismissed suggestions that he would seek another term when his tenure ends in 2028, as prescribed by the constitution.

However, manoeuvres by the ruling party to amend the constitution, with the Constitutional Amendment Bill having been gazetted by Parliament, betray the President’s earlier stance.

In a post on X, Chinamasa suggested that the onus is no longer on amending the constitution, and that extending President Mnangagwa’s term is no longer in his hands.

“As for the President and First Secretary of Zanu PF, His Excellency, Cde Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, I say to him, Your Excellency’s views on the Zanu PF Resolution Number 1 do not matter anymore.

“Vox Populi Vox Dei. The Voice of the People is the Voice of God. The people spoke and are still speaking and demanding Your Excellency to comply and serve the Nation up to 2030. I know it is not in Your Excellency’s nature to take a path that goes against the Will of the People,” said Chinamasa.

Since the tabling of the Constitutional Amendment Bill and Zanu PF’s resolution number one, which seeks to extend presidential term limits to 2030, President Mnangagwa has not publicly commented on the ruling party’s position.

This has left Zanu PF officials clamouring for an extension of his rule while Mnangagwa remains tight- lipped on whether there has been a change to his 2024 position.

Chinamasa argued that the proposed bill would eradicate a perpetual cycle of electioneering, which he claimed has hindered development.

“As for the lengthening of term limits for Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Authority Election Cycles I express myself to be fully behind and in support of this reform of our political system.

“I have long argued that the problem of Africa’s continuing underdevelopment is the frequent changes of governments giving rise to lack of continuity and the Stop-Start development path that inevitably leads to retarded development.

“For development to take place a country needs sustained implementation of progressive policies over generations. The People’s Republic of China is a good example which we should emulate.

“In less than half a century, China has successfully transformed itself from a largely agrarian underdeveloped country ranking as one of the poorest countries in the world to a leading economic, industrial and technological powerhouse,” said Chinamasa. *_-NewZimbabwe_*