Zanu PF MP suspended for ‘treachery’ after skipping votes on Mnangagwa’s term extension

Zanu PF legislator Spare Sithole has reportedly been suspended from the ruling party after missing two crucial parliamentary votes that paved the way for constitutional changes extending President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s time in office.

Sithole, the Member of Parliament for Insiza South in Matabeleland South, was hauled before a provincial disciplinary committee chaired by Albert Nguluvhe, where he faced five disciplinary charges, including allegations of “treachery.”

According to party sources, the committee found him guilty and imposed a three-year suspension.

The decision, however, still requires ratification by Zanu PF’s national disciplinary committee and the party’s Politburo before it takes effect.

“Sithole was found guilty and suspended from the party for three years. The suspension must be ratified by the national disciplinary committee and Politburo for it to take effect,” a source familiar with the proceedings said.

Both Nguluvhe and Sithole declined to comment on the disciplinary outcome.

Nguluvhe is regarded as an ally of Vice President Constantino Chiwenga and is related to Chiwenga’s wife, Miniyothabo.

Missed constitutional votes

The disciplinary action stems from Sithole’s failure to attend two parliamentary votes held on June 18 and June 30, during which lawmakers overwhelmingly approved the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 3) Bill.

On one of those dates, Sithole reportedly informed party officials that he was unwell. However, the disciplinary hearing allegedly heard evidence that he was instead in his constituency making a donation.

Sithole, a war veteran, owns Para Reserve Security and Private Investigators, a security company, and also has interests in gold mining.

Although he was not the only Zanu PF MP absent during the voting process, most ruling party legislators backed the constitutional amendments despite reports of internal resistance.

ICT Minister and Chikomba West MP Tatenda Mavetera, who also reportedly missed the first vote, is said to have apologised directly to Mnangagwa, explaining that she arrived at Parliament after voting had already concluded. She later voted in favour of the Bill during the second vote on June 30.

Political observers say the action against Sithole could signal a broader crackdown on ruling party members who opposed or failed to support the constitutional changes.

Sweeping constitutional changes

The Constitution Amendment No. 3 Act became law after President Mnangagwa signed the Bill, with the legislation being gazetted on July 7.

Among its most significant provisions, the amendment extends presidential and parliamentary terms from five years to seven years and applies the extension to the incumbent President, the current Senate and the National Assembly, effectively cancelling elections that had been scheduled for 2028.

The legislation also changes the method of electing Zimbabwe’s president by replacing the current direct popular vote with election by Parliament.

Analysts have argued that the change could complicate any future succession bid by Vice President Chiwenga.

The amendment further expands presidential authority over the appointment of judges and the Prosecutor General, establishes a new delimitation commission and transfers responsibility for voter registration from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to the Registrar General.

Court challenges

The new law is already facing legal challenges.

Former Binga North MP Prince Dubeko Sibanda has approached the Constitutional Court seeking an order declaring that the extension of the terms of the incumbent President, Members of Parliament and councillors violates Section 328(7) of the Constitution.

In a separate application, National Constitutional Assembly member Vhurande Mahlupeko has asked the Constitutional Court to invalidate the entire amendment, arguing that Parliament breached constitutional procedures by introducing changes that were not included in the version of the Bill originally published for public scrutiny.

From Grade 5 dropout to businessman and MP

Sithole’s suspension marks another dramatic chapter in the life of a politician whose personal journey has often been highlighted as one of determination against the odds.

Born into a poor family in Filabusi, Sithole left school after Grade 5 because of financial hardship.

He later worked as a farm labourer and mine worker before joining the military, where he served as a company commander in the Zimbabwe Para Military Company between 1983 and 1986.

Determined to complete the education he had missed as a child, Sithole returned to the classroom in his fifties, studying alongside teenagers while preparing for his O-Level examinations.

He went on to establish Para Reserve Security and Private Investigators in 2003, growing the company into a regional security business employing dozens of guards across Matabeleland and the Midlands.

In addition to his security business, Sithole has interests in commercial farming and gold mining and has long been active in Zanu PF structures in Matabeleland South.