ZIMBABWE IS FACING A NEW CONSTITUTIONAL COUP

Zimbabwe is once again standing close to a very dark moment. At the big ZANU PF conference in Mutare, the ruling party made a shocking decision. They want to change the law so that President Emmerson Mnangagwa can stay in power longer than what the constitution allows. His term is supposed to end in 2028, but they now want him to rule until 2030. This is not reform or progress. This is a clear power grab. It is a constitutional coup hiding behind fake legal language.

ZANU PF’s legal affairs secretary, Ziyambi Ziyambi, said he has already been told to start working on a law to make this happen. This is not a small party issue. This is a national crisis. Our constitution is very clear. A president can only serve two terms. But the same party that once said it brought freedom is now destroying the freedom we fought for.

What makes this worse is that ZANU PF is now full of fighting and tension. Vice President Constantino Chiwenga does not support Mnangagwa’s plan. This has turned their long-standing power struggle into an open battle. Instead of fixing the economy or helping citizens, ZANU PF leaders are busy fighting to see who will stay in power longer and who will get more benefits from the system.

Many people in civil society, the opposition, and legal groups have already said this plan is wrong and illegal. Legal experts say changing term limits requires two national referenda. ZANU PF does not want this because they know people would reject the plan. A referendum could be Mnangagwa’s downfall. It could break ZANU PF’s long hold on power and open the door for real change after 45 years of corruption and abuse.

Mnangagwa once said he would step down in 2028. He said he would follow the constitution. But his silence now is loud. He has not spoken against this plan. His close allies are the ones driving it forward. This shows he agrees with it. It also shows that he is now doing the same thing he once accused Robert Mugabe of doing. Mnangagwa came to power in 2017 saying Mugabe stayed too long. Now Mnangagwa is doing the same thing. He wants to stay longer, hold more power, and weaken the constitution from inside.

This is not only happening in Zimbabwe. Many African countries have removed term limits in the past twenty years. Leaders in Rwanda and Ivory Coast said they needed more time to bring stability. Leaders in Togo, Cameroon, and Equatorial Guinea changed their systems so they could rule forever. Mnangagwa is now following these leaders. He is acting like someone who fears losing power. He is acting like someone who wants to protect his wealth and protect the people around him.

Term limits are very important in a democracy. They make sure power changes hands. They make sure leaders are responsible and answer to the people. Zimbabwe learned this lesson under Mugabe, who ruled for 37 years. After so much suffering, we added term limits to our constitution so no leader could ever hold the country hostage again. Today Mnangagwa wants to remove that protection.

Surveys by Afrobarometer show that more than 75% of Africans support term limits. People want leaders who do not stay forever. They want change. But those in power want something else. They want to rule until they die.

This is what dictatorship looks like. And it is happening right now.

We cannot allow this attack on our constitution to go unchallenged. Zimbabwe deserves better. We fought for freedom, not for another leader who wants to stay forever. If we allow this to pass, 2030 will not be the end. It will only be the beginning of a long and painful forever.