MNANGAGWA’S NEW COUP IS A DIRECT ATTACK ON THE CONSTITUTION

In November 2017, Emmerson Mnangagwa took power from Robert Mugabe through a military coup. Many people thought this was the start of real change. Many hoped that freedom would come. But nothing changed. Mnangagwa became just like Mugabe, and in some ways even worse. Today he is planning another coup. This time it is not against a person. It is a coup against the constitution of Zimbabwe.

Leaked papers show that Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi sent a plan to cabinet. This plan is called Constitutional Amendment No. 3. It says Mnangagwa must stay in power for two or three more years. Many people, including lawyers, say this is illegal. They say it is the same as breaking the constitution. They say it is a coup on the rules that guide the country.

This idea is not new. It was talked about before. Bikita South MP Energy Mutodi was supposed to bring the plan to Parliament. The idea started after the ZANU PF conference in Bulawayo last year. At that meeting, the party said Mnangagwa can stay in power if he wants. They were already preparing people for this plan.

Instead of respecting the law and asking the people in a referendum to change the constitution, Mnangagwa wants to use Parliament to help him stay longer. The first plan was to give him a third term. But that idea needed two referenda. It became too difficult, so they dropped it.

Now the plan is different. They want to extend the term of Parliament and delay elections. If elections are delayed, Mnangagwa stays longer without removing term limits. But this is also wrong. The constitution does not allow Parliament to extend its own term or to delay elections for political reasons. This is a clear abuse of the law.

Lawyers say the only legal way to change the term of a president is through a referendum. Even if a referendum happens, the current president cannot benefit from the change. To let him benefit, they would need a second referendum to remove the rule that stops a sitting president from gaining advantage from amendments.

There are two ways to look at this. Some people say maybe the president can benefit after two referenda. Others say he can never benefit. The writers of the constitution made sure that no leader could use changes to stay longer in power. They wanted to stop another Mugabe story. Changing that idea is not a small thing. It is not just an amendment. It is like writing a whole new constitution. Mnangagwa is using Ziyambi to push this dangerous plan because Ziyambi controls government business in Parliament.

A coup against the constitution means breaking the rules. The rules say a president can only serve two terms. These rules protect freedom and democracy. When leaders break them, they become dangerous. They stop listening to the people. They use government power to push their own interests. When that happens, people lose their rights.

Zimbabwe has always suffered from corruption and power abuse. Now Mnangagwa wants to stay longer by breaking the law. This is not just unfair. It is a danger to the whole country. If he changes the rules without asking the people, then elections will mean nothing. Democracy will die.

He says he wants more time for peace and development. But this is not true. Term limits stop leaders from becoming dictators. Good leadership means leaving when your time is up. Mnangagwa does not want that. He wants to stay by force. And that is a real threat to our future.