HARARE – Prominent constitutional lawyer Thabani Mpofu has expressed outrage over what he described as a “particularly disturbing” attempt to exploit ethnic sensitivities in a political scheme allegedly linked to efforts to legitimise the extension of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term of office.
Mpofu said the alleged recruitment of members of the Ndebele ethnic group to front a purported constitutional challenge aimed at discrediting opposition to the so-called “2030 agenda” amounted to a cruel and divisive political tactic.
“A particularly disturbing aspect of the Fuzwayo and Ibhetshu Likazulu saga is the deliberate attempt to put an entire ethnic group in the line of fire,” Mpofu said.
“Fraudulently recruiting Ndebeles, who have real historical grievances with ED, to front a false challenge to the 2030 agenda is a cruel low. The scheme is the work of charlatans and can be traced back to the use of (Sengezo) Tshabangu to close democratic space for ED’s benefit.”
Tshabangu was used by the state soon after the 2023 elections to grab the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change party from its leader Nelson Chamisa.
Through the help of Parliament and courts, Tshabangu recalled dozens of CCC MPs, Senators and councillors giving Zanu-PF two thirds majority in Parliament.
Consequently, Mnangagwa’s camp is planning to use its two thirds majority to push for the extension of his term of office.
His remarks come amid allegations that a constitutional court application being prepared in Bulawayo is part of a covert plan to secure a judicial ruling that would appear to legitimise the extension of Mnangagwa’s term to 2030.
According to reports, the scheme allegedly involves using the courts to create the appearance of legality for a predetermined political outcome.
The case would ostensibly challenge the “2030 agenda” but would in fact be designed to fail, with the dismissal later cited as legal precedent to justify extending the president’s stay in power.
Award-winning journalist Hopewell Chin’ono, this week, revealed that he spoke to Mbuso Fuzwayo of the human rights organisation Ibhetshu Likazulu, who confirmed that he had been approached by Tshabangu’s lawyer, Nqobani Sithole, to front the application.
Fuzwayo said he initially did not know the broader motives behind the plan and was told that the final draft would be brought to him for signing.
He has since distanced himself from the move, saying he would not participate after learning of what he described as a “broader scheme” to manipulate the legal process.
Chin’ono further alleged that the application was drafted by a young advocate linked to Itayi Ndudzo, the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Mashonaland East and a Zanu–PF legislator.
He described the plan as an attempt to manufacture legitimacy through the courts, likening it to the Romeo Zibani case, in which a student’s challenge to the Judicial Service Commission ultimately reinforced government interests.
“This tactic mirrors previous manoeuvres where the judiciary was manipulated to produce outcomes that served political ends rather than justice,” Chin’ono said.
“It represents a dangerous trend in which the law is twisted to manufacture legitimacy, eroding public trust in the courts.”
Mnangagwa’s camp within Zanu–PF is reportedly pushing for a term extension beyond 2028, a move facing resistance from Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, widely seen as the president’s natural successor.
Party and government sources say ongoing restructuring and an expected cabinet reshuffle are part of efforts to weaken Chiwenga’s allies ahead of a potential constitutional amendment drive.
