No to third term of office for President Mnangagwa: Mudenda

Former Mthwakazi Republic Party National Executive Council Chairman Mudenda Chilumbo has criticized the Zanu PF faction that is rallying for President Emmerson Mnangagwa to rule beyond 2028, stating that they are "constitution violators at their worst."

In a press statement, Mudenda noted that it is public knowledge that the kleptomaniac Zanu PF regime will host its annual people's conference at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair grounds in Bulawayo from October 22 to 27.

"The people of Matebeleland and parts of the Midlands are concerned about this upcoming conference, as it is being touted as the platform to endorse President Mnangagwa for a third term as the President of Zanu PF and subsequently of the Republic of Zimbabwe. Recent endorsements by various Zanu PF provincial structures for President Mnangagwa to cling to power until 2030 have raised concerns among the Matebeleland citizenry, especially in light of this forthcoming Zanu PF annual conference. The people of Matebeleland and parts of the Midlands are saying Zanu PF must stop turning our region into its battlefield," he said.

"It is documented that whenever Zanu PF faces intense factional strife, it tends to tarnish the image of Matebeleland. On August 12, 2017, there was an ice cream incident involving Mnangagwa at Phelandaba Stadium in Gwanda, Matebeleland South. This occurred at the height of Zanu PF's factional battles between the G40 faction and the Mnangagwa-led Lacoste faction."

Mudenda pointed out that in the same year, Mnangagwa supporters booed former First Lady Grace Mugabe at White City Stadium in Bulawayo, an incident that led to his expulsion two days later from both Zanu PF and the government by his predecessor, Robert Gabriel Mugabe.

"As if that were not enough, after assuming power through a military coup in November 2017, President Mnangagwa faced another bomb incident at White City Stadium in Bulawayo, which left many Zanu PF officials in precarious situations, including Vice President Kembo Mohadi. All these events resulted from Zanu PF's infighting caused by the party's unclear succession plan," he said.

"With the upcoming Zanu PF annual conference amid ongoing factionalism led by President Mnangagwa and his Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, where the former's supporters are pushing for his third term in office against both Zanu PF and the Zimbabwean constitution, the people of Matebeleland would like to remind Mnangagwa and his supporters about the constitutional provisions regarding presidential term limits."

Mudenda emphasized that Sections 91 and 95 of the constitution state that a President cannot serve more than two terms in office, with each term lasting three years or more. He added that Section 328(7) outlines the process for amending the constitution, including presidential term limits.

"To extend the presidential term, a bill must be passed by a two-thirds majority in both the National Assembly and the Senate. However, this section grants the people of Zimbabwe the constitutional power to reverse any such amendment, even if the legislature passes the bill. Furthermore, amending or repealing Section 328(7) requires a public referendum. There is no alternative to this," he said.

"As the people of Matebeleland, we warn all those in Zanu PF agitating for Mnangagwa's third term as President of the Republic of Zimbabwe that they pose a security threat to our region. The constitution of the country is the supreme law of the land. No one has the right to change it arbitrarily under our watch."

Mudenda declared that if Zanu PF's annual conference endorses Mnangagwa for this reason, they will consider it a significant mistake.

"We will, without hesitation, fear, or favor, invoke Section 59 of the constitution of Zimbabwe, which grants us the right to peaceful demonstrations without the fear of reprisal or prosecution, alongside Section 58, which guarantees our right to freedom of assembly and association," he stated.

"We urge the state security sector to professionally execute their constitutional mandate by holding criminals accountable for their actions. All Zanu PF delegates who endorse President Mnangagwa for a third term must be arrested thereafter. The highest crime in any democratic society is tampering with the governing 'bible,' which is the constitution."

He warned that if the police fail to fulfill their obligations, they must not disrupt peaceful demonstrations following the endorsement.

"We urge Zanu PF and its President to prioritize fixing the ailing Zimbabwean economy instead of focusing on their power struggles. Mnangagwa must urgently dollarize the economy rather than rely on his erratic economic policies. On April 5, his administration introduced the Zimbabwe Gold (ZIG) currency, pegged at 13.56 to the US dollar, but to our surprise, the administration later admitted that it faked the rate, devaluing it by more than 43% five months later," he said.

"For a gold and foreign currency reserves-backed currency to stabilize, the reserves must exceed USD 3 billion for a country like Zimbabwe, according to global economic standards. Zimbabwe's purported reserves are estimated at US$370 million, far below IMF and World Bank guidelines. For comparison, South Africa's gold and foreign currency reserves exceed US$40 billion, while China’s are over US$3 trillion. Zanu PF must stop deceiving our population. Zimbabwe has introduced more than six currencies in ten years, yet none have managed to stabilize our economy. Mnangagwa and his cronies must put an end to corruption and human rights abuses."

Mudenda concluded by reiterating that Zanu PF must not make Matebeleland their battlefield.