Bhora musango plotted as ED2030 agenda faces parliamentary showdown: Zanu-PF MPs want to humiliate Mnangagwa

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A major political showdown is brewing in Zimbabwe’s Parliament, with the upcoming session expected to be dominated by a controversial proposal to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term of office beyond 2028.

While Mnangagwa himself claims disinterest in such an extension, a resolution passed at Zanu-PF’s October 2022 annual conference seeks to keep him in power until 2030. This has ignited a fierce internal battle within the ruling party, with significant opposition emerging even from within its ranks.

The plan to extend Mnangagwa’s tenure, initially revealed last year in a document outlining a motion to be moved by Zanu-PF Bikita South legislator Energy Mutodi, now faces significant hurdles. Sources within Zanu-PF reveal growing unease about the proposal, particularly given the widespread public discontent.

“We are in a catch-22 situation because what we gather from our interactions with constituencies is that ordinary people are not interested in this 2030 thing,” a Zanu-PF lawmaker and Politburo member confided in The Standard.

The MP continued, highlighting the disconnect between the party’s rhetoric and the realities faced by ordinary Zimbabweans: “During the day, some MPs may be seen chanting the 2030 slogans but if a secret vote comes, there may be a few votes from Zanu PF MPs in support of the motion. The level of suffering cannot be ignored, and we cannot be playing with people’s lives and not providing answers to the many challenges they are facing yet busy chanting 2030 slogans. We are emerging as enemies of the people who voted us into office.”

This internal dissent is further compounded by the fear among Mnangagwa’s loyalists that a referendum – necessary to amend the constitution – would likely result in a resounding rejection by the Zimbabwean public. This has led them to pursue a parliamentary route, leveraging Zanu-PF’s two-thirds majority in the August House. However, the prospect of a secret ballot, which would expose the extent of opposition within the party, is a source of considerable anxiety for the ruling party.

Meanwhile, the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) is actively challenging Zanu-PF to hold a secret ballot. Jameson Timba, leader of one CCC faction, issued a direct challenge: “The CCC parliamentary caucus will oppose the motion by Zanu PF to bring in a constitutional amendment bill to extend the Presidential term,” he told The Standard.

He added: “I am challenging Zanu PF to bring this through a secret ballot as we would defeat it with a significant number of Zanu PF MPs having assured us that they will vote against this madness. We will therefore defeat both Mnangagwa and impostor Sengezo Tshabangu.”

Timba’s statement highlights the complex political landscape, referencing the controversial role of Sengezo Tshabangu, whose actions significantly boosted Zanu-PF’s parliamentary majority. The CCC, now holding 88 MPs and 27 senators, is divided into two factions, with Timba’s faction controlling 50 MPs and 11 senators, and Tshabangu and Welshman Ncube’s faction controlling 38 MPs and 16 senators.

Timba further challenged Mnangagwa directly: “I am also challenging ED to put his money where his mouth is. He has not publicly opposed the amendment of the constitution to extend his term of office. The two positions are different. He cannot claim to be a constitutionalist who has no respect for Constitutionalism.”

Zanu-PF chief whip Pupurai Togarepi offered a cautious response, stating that the party would address the matter when it formally comes before Parliament: “The agenda is to deal with the outstanding business of the House,” Togarepi said. “Mainly, it’s about the legislative agenda set by His Excellency during the last state of the nation address. As for any new business, we will deal with it when it comes to the order paper.”

Adding to the growing opposition, Sengezo Tshabangu’s faction also publicly declared their opposition to the 2030 agenda. A statement released two weeks prior indicated that Tshabangu himself had met with the Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Mudenda, to convey this opposition.

“It is unnecessarily divisive. We will oppose it,” stated Tshabangu’s spokesperson, Nqobizitha Mlilo. “We suggested that the idea should be abandoned so as not to cause unnecessary national disharmony.”

However, Welshman Ncube’s faction, through their chief whip Edwin Mushoriwa, indicated they had not yet deliberated on the matter, stating that they would comment meaningfully once a draft constitutional bill is gazetted.

Jameson Timba also directed criticism towards Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, urging him to focus on more pressing issues: “The face of the 2030 agenda Ziyambi Ziyambi should redirect his energies to his co-mandate of justice by attending to the conditions of service of prison guards who are now surviving on the benevolence of prisoners,” Timba stated.

He further highlighted the precarious situation of prison guards, suggesting that Ziyambi should prioritise addressing their conditions of service and the realignment of laws with the existing constitution rather than pursuing the 2030 agenda. “Ziyambi has his hands full, but alas is wasting time chasing a mirrage,” he concluded.


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