Paul Mangwana says Mnangagwa will not gain an extra term

Former Paul Mangwana, a Zanu-PF legal affairs secretary, MP, and minister, has stated that President Emmerson Mnangagwa will not benefit from an extra term under the current constitutional amendments, arguing that he will serve only two more years - less than a full term, which the law defines as three to five years.

Mangwana, who co-chaired the Constitution Parliamentary Select Committee (Copac) in 2013 - a cross-party legislative committee established in 2009 under the Government of National Unity to lead Zimbabwe's constitution-making process - said there is no need for a referendum since the provision on presidential term limits is being observed.

He clarified that the current amendments only involve a change to the length of the term, not the number of terms a president may serve.

The amendments have triggered a fierce political debate, multiple Constitutional Court applications, and public contention, accompanied by reports of mudslinging and violent repression across political lines.