Retired General Winston Sigauke warns of alleged 'constitutional coup' plot

Retired Lieutenant General Winston Sigauke Mapuranga has issued a strongly worded warning over what he describes as an alleged "constitutional engineering project" aimed at restructuring Zimbabwe's leadership succession in favour of President Emmerson Mnangagwa's family.

In a statement addressed to "fellow Zimbabweans, comrades of the liberation struggle, and defenders of the Constitution", Sigauke claimed he had received intelligence from "close and reliable sources within the corridors of power" suggesting that President Mnangagwa intends to sign the proposed Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 3) Bill (CAB3) into law before triggering a leadership transition.

According to Sigauke, the alleged plan involves either the President resigning within days of assenting to the amendment or using new constitutional provisions to dissolve Cabinet structures in a way that would politically isolate Vice President Constantino Chiwenga.

"This is not reform. This is a calculated legal manoeuvre designed to systemically remove General Constantino Chiwenga from the new government structure," Sigauke said.

He further alleged that the process would pave the way for Vice President Kembo Mohadi to assume temporary leadership before Parliament votes to elevate First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa to the presidency.

Sigauke compared the alleged developments to the final years of former President Robert Mugabe's administration, warning against attempts to personalise State power and manipulate constitutional processes for dynastic succession.

"We all remember what happened when a leader begins to treat the Constitution as his personal property and the succession process as a family inheritance," he said.

The retired general argued that CAB3 was being presented publicly as a technical constitutional adjustment while allegedly serving broader political objectives tied to succession.

"By altering how the next President is chosen and then creating that vacancy through resignation or Cabinet dissolution, the plan seeks to bypass the people," he claimed.

Sigauke accused the leadership of attempting to turn Parliament into "a rubber stamp to crown a First Lady while the people watch from the sidelines".

He also invoked the events surrounding the November 2017 military intervention that led to Mugabe's resignation, insisting that those developments were intended to restore constitutional governance rather than establish another form of personalised rule.

"The 2017 intervention was never meant to replace one form of personal rule with another. It was meant to restore constitutional order and give Zimbabweans a chance at genuine renewal," he said.

In his closing remarks, Sigauke called on Members of Parliament, war veterans, members of the security services and ordinary citizens to remain vigilant.

"Power that is grabbed through the back door of constitutional manipulation never ends well," he warned.

The Government of Zimbabwe has not publicly responded to the allegations, and no official evidence has been produced to substantiate the claims. The proposed amendments under CAB3 continue to generate debate among political observers, civil society groups and opposition parties, with critics warning against changes perceived to weaken democratic safeguards and alter succession dynamics. The matter remains central to national discourse through platforms such as Zimbabwe political X‑spaces.