MNANGAGWA’S 2030 POWER GRAB HAS BEGUN
Zimbabwe is once again facing a dark moment. A dangerous plan is quietly moving forward to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s rule beyond 2028. A draft Constitutional Amendment Bill, known as Amendment Bill No.3, is expected to be gazetted very soon, possibly before Christmas. This move is not innocent. It is a clear attempt by ZANU PF to keep power at all costs and ignore the will of the people.
According to a cabinet minister who spoke anonymously, the draft bill has already been prepared by legal experts under the Attorney General and the Minister of Justice. The work is done. What remains is approval by cabinet and then the start of the parliamentary process. Once cabinet agrees, the Minister of Justice will take the bill to parliament, and the Clerk of Parliament will publish it in the Government Gazette.
This gazetting is not a small step. For a constitutional amendment, the law demands that the full details of the bill be published at least 90 days before it is debated in parliament. This is meant to allow public discussion and consultation. But in Zimbabwe, such processes are often treated as a formality, not a real engagement with citizens.
After gazetting, the bill will be debated in both the National Assembly and the Senate. If it passes with a two thirds majority in both houses, it will be sent to Mnangagwa himself for approval. Once he signs it, it becomes law. This is how a constitution can be changed, even against the spirit in which it was written.
The heart of the national anger is simple. This bill is meant to push Mnangagwa’s rule to 2030, beyond his second and final term. Zimbabwe’s constitution is clear about presidential limits. Section 91 says no one can be elected president if they have already served two terms. Section 95 says a presidential term lasts five years. Section 328 explains how these rules can be changed.
Most important is Section 328(7), which says any change to term limits cannot benefit the person currently in office. Section 328(9) goes further and says if a change benefits the sitting president, then a national referendum is required, along with a two thirds vote in parliament. This was designed to stop exactly what is now being attempted.
ZANU PF argues that this bill is not about term limits, but only about the length of the presidency. This is a weak and dishonest argument. Changing the length of time a president stays in office is the same as changing term limits in practice. Words are being twisted to justify power retention.
As a citizen and an activist, I see this as an insult to every Zimbabwean who voted, hoped, and suffered for a better future. The constitution is being treated like a party document, not a national contract. If this passes without a referendum, it will confirm that ZANU PF fears the people. Zimbabwe deserves leaders who respect limits, not rulers who rewrite rules to stay forever.
