Former Silobela MP petitions Ramaphosa

Cyril Ramaphosa, the current interim chairperson of the Southern African Development Community, has been petitioned to press Emmerson Mnangagwa's administration to halt the controversial Constitutional Amendment Number 3, which seeks to extend the presidential term by two years.

The appeal was made in a petition dated March 4 by former MP and Anadi Arnold Njanjile Sululu, who leads the E-Movement, a coalition of Zimbabwean citizens advocating for national renewal.

"I write to you not only as a concerned neighbour but as the leader of the E-Movement," Sululu said, recalling Ramaphosa's intervention nearly six years ago when he dispatched a delegation to Zimbabwe. He warned that the "New Era" hoped for has devolved into a renewed crisis, driven by what he described as a coordinated effort to amend the constitution to extend presidential term limits.

Sululu cited a resurgence of abductions, torture, and unlawful arrests, highlighting the recent assault on Lovemore Madhuku and his members at their party headquarters. He urged Ramaphosa to engage directly with Mnangagwa to halt the amendments, end political violence, and facilitate electoral reforms.

The former MDC legislator for Silobela warned that extending presidential term limits could destabilise Zimbabwe, with potential spillover effects in South Africa, including a surge of refugees and increased socio-economic pressures.

"South Africa continues to shoulder the socio-economic burden of Zimbabwe's instability," Sululu wrote. "A stable Zimbabwe is not only essential for its own citizens but is also a prerequisite for a stable and prosperous South Africa."

Sululu has also appealed to the United Nations, the Pan African Parliament, the African Union, and the Pope Francis to intervene in the unfolding constitutional crisis.