The Zimbabwe government never ceases to amaze.
In a press statement yesterday, Presidential Spokesperson George Charamba once again attempted to create the impression that President Emmerson Mnangagwa is not behind the fervent push to extend his term in office.
He was responding to a bold statement by the Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations (ZHCD), which urged the president to uphold, defend, and respect the Constitution by resisting the temptation to extend the presidential term limits.
Charamba criticized the NewsDay publication, which reported the ZHCD statement, for framing these calls for a term extension as originating from Mnangagwa himself.
Both Charamba and Information Minister Jenfan Muswere, in separate statements, sought to portray these calls for a term extension as the will of the people of Zimbabwe.
They claimed that the supposed groundswell of support was inspired by Mnangagwa’s alleged stellar performance and the people’s desire for him to complete his “Vision 2030.”
Muswere went as far as to assert that Members of Parliament (MPs) advocating for constitutional amendments to enable Mnangagwa to stay in power beyond his two five-year terms were merely representing the people who elected them.
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This narrative is riddled with glaring inconsistencies and blatant falsehoods.
To begin with, Muswere’s claims are deeply problematic.
Exactly which MPs, particularly those who recently gathered at Mnangagwa’s Precabe Farm, were elected by the people?
Their leader, Sengezo Tshabangu, who had the audacity to declare that extending Mnangagwa’s tenure would benefit Zimbabweans, was not elected by anyone.
His rise to prominence, after appointing himself interim Secretary General of the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), was facilitated by ZANU-PF through the Speaker of Parliament and the judiciary.
Who removed from Parliament Prince Dubeko Sibanda, Pashor Raphael Sibanda, Admore Chivero, Stephen Chatiza, Tapfumanei Willard Madzimbamuto, Oliver Mutasa, Linnet Mazingaidzo, and over twenty more who had been given the mandate to represent the people by the electorate?
This series of recalls handed ZANU-PF an unearned two-thirds majority in Parliament after these vacated seats were won in by-elections, in which the recalled MPs were barred by the Courts from participating.
This majority has since been leveraged to advance the very agenda of amending the Constitution to extend Mnangagwa’s term.
How did Tshabangu himself become a senator?
Did he not simply appointment himself and his friends by replacing Proportional Representation (PR) MPs he had unilaterally recalled?
So, where exactly does Muswere derive the claim that these MPs represent the people of Zimbabwe?
The truth is that these individuals, far from being representatives of the people, are mere pawns in a political game orchestrated to serve ZANU-PF’s agenda.
Charamba, in his attempts to exonerate Mnangagwa from these efforts, raises even more questions.
If ZANU-PF members and MPs were openly discussing or planning for Mnangagwa to step down, would this be tolerated under the guise of freedom of expression?
Would such a discourse be allowed to proceed unhindered at ZANU-PF gatherings, such as the Annual People’s Conference in Bulawayo last year?
The answer is an emphatic no.
History and experience within ZANU-PF demonstrate that dissent or even the slightest hint of opposing Mnangagwa’s leadership is met with swift and decisive retribution.
If Mnangagwa had been genuinely opposed to extending his term beyond 2028, then he would quashed all such talk.
In this context, the very fact that discussions about extending his term are occurring so openly and are even taking place at his farm strongly suggests that he is complicit.
It is hardly a coincidence that Tshabangu and his MPs recently visited Precabe Farm, a venue increasingly linked with these dubious schemes.
The assertion that these calls are a grassroots movement driven by the people of Zimbabwe is nothing more than a convenient fiction.
The reality is that this is a self-serving campaign orchestrated from the highest levels of power.
Mnangagwa’s public denials and reassurances that he respects the Constitution and will step down at the end of his current term in 2028 ring hollow when juxtaposed with the actions of his allies and the broader political context.
The ZHCD’s statement was a timely and necessary intervention.
By reminding Mnangagwa of his previous public commitments not to extend his term, the church leaders sought to hold him accountable.
Their statement was not an endorsement of the idea that Mnangagwa is disinterested in a term extension, as Charamba would have us believe, but rather a subtle yet pointed critique aimed at preempting any backtracking.
The fundamental issue here is the blatant disregard for the will of the people and the Constitution.
Extending Mnangagwa’s term is not about addressing Zimbabwe’s pressing challenges, such as poverty, unemployment, electricity shortages, or the crumbling healthcare and education systems.
It has nothing to do with uplifting the 70% of Zimbabweans living in poverty or creating meaningful opportunities for the youth, who are increasingly turning to street vending and substance abuse as a result of a decimated economy.
This agenda also has no bearing on ending the rampant looting of Zimbabwe’s mineral resources, particularly by Chinese companies, which has brought little benefit to the nation or local communities while causing environmental destruction and displacement.
If anything, extending Mnangagwa’s rule could exacerbate these problems, as corruption and exploitation have flourished under his administration.
The push to extend Mnangagwa’s term is a naked power grab that prioritizes the interests of a select few over the welfare of the nation.
It is a continuation of the same authoritarian tendencies that have characterized ZANU-PF’s rule since independence.
The claims of grassroots support for this initiative are not only unfounded but also insult the intelligence of Zimbabweans who have endured decades of misrule.
In light of these realities, the question must be asked: would Mnangagwa tolerate any discussion within ZANU-PF about removing him from power?
The answer is self-evident.
Such discussions would be swiftly quashed, and those involved would face severe repercussions.
This underscores the hypocrisy of portraying calls to extend his term as an expression of democracy and free speech.
The people of Zimbabwe deserve better.
They deserve leadership that respects the Constitution, upholds democratic principles, and prioritizes the needs of the nation over personal ambition.
Extending Mnangagwa’s term will do nothing to address the systemic issues plaguing Zimbabwe.
It will only entrench the status quo and prolong the suffering of ordinary citizens.
It is time for all Zimbabweans, regardless of political affiliation, to stand united against this self-serving agenda.
The future of the nation depends on it.
● 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/
