THE BIG LIE ABOUT TERM LIMITS MUST NOT FOOL ZIMBABWE

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 a trick to help President Emmerson Mnangagwa stay in power until 2030 without asking the people. It is a lie, and it is wrong.

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

The constitution says clearly that a president can only serve two five year terms. This is written in Sections 91 and 95. It cannot be twisted. It cannot be changed without a referendum. And even if it is changed, the person already in office cannot benefit from that change. That rule is also in the constitution. Mugabe agreed to this rule in 2013 after long talks. Even in the year 2000, during a state run constitution process, this same issue almost caused the whole thing to fail. It was also a big issue again in 2013. Nothing about this is new.

But today ZANU PF leaders and their lawyers are pushing a lie. They now want people 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 call it a gap. But there is no gap. When we look at the history, the process used to make the constitution, the purpose of the term limits and the basic principles of democracy, it becomes clear that they are only making excuses. They want to change the rules in the middle of the game.

This strange argument was pushed in public by Professor Jonathan Moyo, even though ZANU PF leaders had been talking about it in private. But the party itself is not united on this issue. 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 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 referendum to allow a sitting president to benefit from that removal.

Mnangagwa keeps saying he respects the constitution. But this is strange because he came into power through a coup. In public he says he follows the law. But behind the scenes he pushes for changes the wrong way. He knows this is illegal. He knows he cannot do it openly. He wants to do it quietly the same way other authoritarian leaders in Africa have done.

There is nothing new about this behaviour. Many dictators on the continent have tried the same trick. It always brings anger, protests, violence and even coups. It destroys peace. It brings fear. It helps no one except a small group that wants to stay in power forever.

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