… as Masvingo pushes for Mnangagwa third term
By Brighton Chiseva
MASVINGO – The Zanu PF National Political Commissar Munyaradzi Machacha said Masvingo has put him in a tight spot after calls for the extension of Mnangagwa’s rule with another term.
Machacha was responding to calls made by speakers at a Zanu PF Provincial Inter-District meeting held at Masvingo Poly last Saturday where he said Masvingo had given him a huge task since Mnangagwa recently promised to retire in 2028.
“Everything starts in Masvingo. You once sang a song ‘Kumagumo kune nyaya’ and we saw it happening. Now the President spoke in Mutare and said when his two terms lapse he wants to go and rest. He said he would leave someone to finish his vision. Zvino Masvingo yati kwete, ngavarambe vachingotonga. Zvino ndondoti chii kuna President. Ndonoti President Masvingo yati ngavarambe vachingotonga. Ivo vachiti ndoda kumbozorora? Varume muri kundipa mutoro unorema. Zvisinei mutoro wacho ndichatakura. (Now Masvingo is saying no, he should continue ruling. So what am I going to tell him? Should I tell him that Masvingo is saying you should continue? You are giving me a burden, however, I will carry it),” said Machacha amid ululations and shouts.
The crowd shouted that Mnangagwa did not vote himself to be President but it was them who voted for him, so he should listen if they call for another term.
Provincial Chairperson Robson Mavhenyengwa told Machacha that Masvingo was united and whatever they declared would pass.
“Let me assure you sir that Masvingo is united. Everyone supports Zanu PF and President Mnangagwa. No one does anything without the other and if you want anything to do with Zanu PF come to Masvingo. If we say President Mnangagwa will still be there that means it’s a collective voice,” said Mavhenyengwa.
Other top leadership members who were present at the meeting included Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira, Minister of State in the President’s Office Lovemore Matuke and Zanu PF Secretary for Mines and Mining Development Paul Mangwana.
They all chanted the slogan ‘2030 VaMnangagwa vanenge vachipo’ although the president recently announced that he was going to step down at the end of his second term.
Everyone who spoke at the meeting did the same slogan except for Machacha, and every song that was sung there was an endorsement of Mnangagwa’s third term.
Earlier, soon after Mnangagwa announced that he was going to leave office in 2030, Mavhenyengwa told TellZim News that Masvingo was going to decide its position regarding the third term issue at the inter-district meeting.
Commenting on the issue, MDC party leader Douglas Mwonzora, who was co-chairperson of the 2013 constitutional-making board said there was no way Mnangagwa could secure a third term unless he had torn the constitution since it was designed in a way that any change to the term limit cannot benefit the incumbent.
“There is no way Mnangagwa can get a third term unless they tear the constitution. When we designed the constitution we took cognizance of issues like these and we made sure that no sitting President can benefit from any change of the constitution with regards to term limits,” said Mwonzora.
Another constitutional law expert Professor Lovemore Madhuku said it was not feasible to have the constitution changed for the President saying it was unconstitutional and already too late.
“That is irrelevant; the constitution cannot be changed now. Whether the President wants to or not, he has to step down. The announcement of his retirement is not a voluntary act but a constitutional dictate.
“The people who are pushing for his third term assume they have the power to change the constitution but it is too late for that now,” said Prof Madhuku.
