Zimbabwe’s ruling party says it will move to amend the constitution so President Emmerson Mnangagwa can run for a third term in 2028 elections. The opposition is strongly opposed to the 2013 amendment to the constitution, which limits presidents to two five-year terms.
In an interview with VOA on Thursday, Ziyambi Ziyambi, Zimbabwe’s Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, said the government is ready to move forward after introducing a bill to amend the constitution.
“Is there a prohibition on amending anything in the Constitution?” Ziambi said. “The only prohibition in the Constitution, the only clause that I know of, says that any electoral amendment must be made six months before an election so that that amendment can be used in the upcoming election. And anything else I don’t know about.”
Lovemore Madhuku, a law professor at the University of Zimbabwe and an opposition leader, said it would be difficult but impossible for the ruling Zanu-PF party to change the constitution in time to elect its leader in the 2028 elections.
“Legally, yes, you can go through the stages,” Madhuku said. “The steps will first require the publication of the bill, giving Zimbabweans a 90-day period to debate it. After this take it to Parliament. It should get a two-thirds majority and then a referendum should be held. That alone tells you that it is very difficult. It cannot be assumed that since ZANU-PF has a two-thirds majority [in parliament]They will get two-thirds majority.
Movement for Democratic Change party leader Douglas Mwonzora said the MDC would campaign vigorously against the bid to stand Mnangagwa for a third term.
Mwonzora, who is a lawyer, said a referendum would not be enough for Mnangagwa to stand in 2028.
“They will need another referendum,” Mwonzora said. “This time specifically, stating whether President Mnangagwa should stand again or not and these two referendums should not be held within six months of each other.
“We will campaign not to vote again, not because we have anything personal against President Mnangagwa, we think President Mnangagwa should go away and rest after his term, we think it There is time for other leaders, so we will campaign for ‘No’ in that regard.”
But Ziyambi said Zanu-PF would overcome all obstacles standing in the way of Mnangagwa’s third term.
“Zanu-PF is a people’s party. Our structures are from the village level to the grassroots level, so when we are making resolutions, they start from there,” Ziyambi said. “It’s not the top leadership that says they want anything.”
Ziambi said Mnangagwa has said he has made clear he wants to abide by the constitution, but the push for a motion to allow him to run for a third term is coming from the grassroots.
President Robert Mugabe ruled Zimbabwe for 37 years before Mnangagwa, a former army general and Mugabe’s vice-president, took power in a 2017 coup.
Mnangagwa is 82 years old and is currently Africa’s fifth oldest head of state.
