Please, ZANU-PF, don’t lie: The ED 2030 campaign never came from Zimbabweans

ZANU-PF Chief Whip Pupurai Togarepi recently claimed that the push for President Emmerson Mnangagwa to extend his term beyond 2028 originates from the people of Zimbabwe.

Speaking at a gathering of legislators from the ruling ZANU-PF party and a faction of the opposition CCC party, Togarepi boldly stated, “This (ED 2030 campaign) is not an agenda by the MPs who have come to this farm but Zimbabweans themselves. This idea cannot be stopped by anyone or me. It is coming from the people of Zimbabwe.”

This is one of the most outrageous claims I have ever heard in my life.

Yet, it reveals a fragment of truth.

The MPs who gathered at Precabe Farm are not the masterminds behind this audacious push for Mnangagwa to remain in power beyond the constitutionally mandated two terms.

Rather, they are pawns in a much larger scheme, manipulated by a grandmaster dangling perks and privileges to ensure their complicity.

Indeed, the plan now appears to have shifted towards postponing the harmonized elections slated for 2028 to 2030.

This adjustment not only benefits Mnangagwa by granting him an additional two years in office but also secures extended tenures for the MPs themselves.

This is particularly appealing to legislators like Sengezo Tshabangu, the self-appointed CCC Secretary General, who rose to power through controversial parliamentary and judicial processes and would likely lose in a free and fair election.

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While these legislators may not have originated the “ED 2030 campaign,” they undoubtedly stand to gain from supporting it.

Nevertheless, Togarepi’s assertion that this campaign is driven by ordinary Zimbabweans is a blatant lie.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

I challenge anyone to point to a single Zimbabwean, unconnected to political platforms, who has publicly expressed a desire for Mnangagwa to remain in power beyond 2028.

In my interactions across various settings—whether on the streets, in queues, or at non-political gatherings like funerals and weddings—I have never encountered anyone lauding Mnangagwa’s leadership to the extent of advocating for an extension of his presidency.

Such sentiments are confined to political gatherings or orchestrated platforms, including social media, where individuals parrot party propaganda.

The “ED 2030 campaign” clearly originates within the ZANU-PF political machinery and has no roots among ordinary citizens.

This mirrors the oft-repeated claim that Zimbabweans are enraged by US sanctions, which have supposedly crippled the economy.

Outside political discourse, no ordinary Zimbabwean blames their poverty and suffering on these sanctions.

Across Zimbabwe’s social spectrum, people recognize the true culprits of their plight: the looting of national resources and economic mismanagement by those in power.

The “sanctions narrative” is a convenient scapegoat for political expediency, just as the “ED 2030 campaign” is a fabrication designed to legitimize Mnangagwa’s ambitions.

Poverty and suffering cut across political affiliations, affecting even grassroots ZANU-PF supporters.

Over 70% of Zimbabweans live below the poverty line, and ZANU-PF supporters are not exempt.

The majority of grassroots ZANU-PF supporters back the party out of necessity or fear, not genuine conviction.

ZANU-PF’s electoral victories are achieved through intimidation, violence, and coercion, particularly in rural areas where traditional leaders and shadowy entities like Forever Associates Zimbabwe (FAZ) compel villagers to vote for the ruling party.

Election observer missions, including SADC and the Commonwealth, have documented these tactics.

If ZANU-PF and Mnangagwa were genuinely beloved by Zimbabweans, there would be no need for coercion.

The noise surrounding the “ED 2030 campaign” is limited to a handful of ZANU-PF elites, such as Owen “Mudha” Ncube and Daniel Garwe, who exploit intimidation to impose Mnangagwa’s term extension on party supporters.

This was evident at the ZANU-PF National People’s Conference, where attendance was tightly controlled to ensure the passage of a resolution extending Mnangagwa’s presidency.

The leadership avoided the traditional broader and more representative gathering, fearing grassroots opposition to the resolution.

Subsequent “update meetings” with ZANU-PF supporters are nothing more than coercive tactics to enforce compliance with the resolution.

Clearly, the campaign for Mnangagwa to remain in power beyond 2028 is a top-down initiative, suspected to originate from the president himself.

This unequivocally debunks Togarepi’s claim that the push is coming from the people of Zimbabwe.

Zimbabweans must resist the abuse of their name to justify one man’s insatiable thirst for power.

We cannot afford to wait for a referendum to amend the Constitution to express our disdain for this move.

The time to speak out is now.

We must categorically reject the manipulation of our Constitution to satisfy the ambitions of a leader who has presided over worsening poverty and suffering.

The Mnangagwa regime’s track record is a litany of failures, and his continued rule offers no hope for a better future.

The “ED 2030 campaign” is a betrayal of the Zimbabwean people.

It is up to us to reclaim our agency and demand leadership that prioritizes the welfare of the nation over personal gain.

We must unite to oppose this unconstitutional move and chart a path toward a Zimbabwe that reflects the aspirations of its people, not the ambitions of its rulers.

Zimbabweans need to show people like Togarepi that this “ED 2030 campaign” can and will be stopped.

● Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice advocate and writer. Please feel free to WhatsApp or Call: +263715667700 | +263782283975, or email: [email protected], or visit website: https://mbofanatendairuben.news.blog/