Mnangagwa's ED2030 amendment will never happen

Zanu-PF Central Committee member and war veteran Blessing Geza has condemned party supporters pushing for an extension of President Emmerson Mnangagwa's tenure beyond the constitutional limit, calling such actions treasonous. Geza's remarks come in response to a resolution passed during the party's 21st National People's Conference in Bulawayo, where some members voiced support for extending Mnangagwa's presidency to 2030.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with HSTv, an online media platform under Alpha Media Holdings, Geza expressed deep concern, particularly among former liberation war veterans, over what they viewed as an unconstitutional push to prolong Mnangagwa's rule.

"The President himself took an oath of office to respect the Constitution of Zimbabwe, but these individuals are not doing that. They are committing treason," Geza said. "Those people must be arrested and fired from Zanu-PF. We want to see those people charged."

Mnangagwa has consistently stated that he will step down in 2028 after completing his second and final term, in line with the country's constitution. However, a growing faction of supporters from provinces such as Midlands, Masvingo, and Mashonaland Central have rallied behind the idea of extending his presidency, a move that has triggered division within the party.

Geza expressed disappointment with the Bulawayo resolution, which he described as a violation of the constitutional framework that governs Zimbabwe. "First and foremost, we have a Constitution which must be respected by everybody. It's our duty to protect and defend that Constitution," he said. "This is a party that was formed by the people – the Zanla and Zipra liberation movements – and these new factions must not dictate the future of our party."

The call for an extension has raised suspicions of an effort to sideline Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who is widely seen as a potential successor to Mnangagwa. According to Geza, the push for the 2030 resolution is seen by some as a strategic move to derail Chiwenga's ascension to power.

"Zanu-PF has been hijacked by these new factions. They don't recognize the armed struggle, the real history of the party, and they don't respect the Constitution," Geza added. "Under our watch, such attempts to change the Constitution for personal benefit will not succeed."

The war veteran also took issue with Mnangagwa's leadership following the 2017 coup that brought him to power, saying the president had failed to unite the party and the nation. "The president was supposed to unite the country after the coup, but that hasn't happened. These factions are now a security threat, and the Joint Operations Command (JOC) must take action," he stated.

Geza reiterated that Zimbabwe's Constitution, adopted in 2013, limits the presidency to two five-year terms, meaning Mnangagwa's time in office is set to end in 2028 unless the Constitution is amended. However, even in the event of a constitutional change, Geza warned that the current president should not be the beneficiary of such a revision. "Even if the Constitution is changed, it has a safety net that prevents the sitting president from benefiting from it," he said.

The debate over Mnangagwa's potential term extension has created deep rifts within Zanu-PF, with the party's leadership facing increasing pressure to maintain constitutional integrity and prevent factionalism from further undermining unity. As the 2023 election cycle approaches, the issue of term limits and succession is expected to remain a significant point of contention within the ruling party.