By News Hour
Chinhoyi – Zanu PF’s Harare Province has initiated a process to amend the Constitution, allowing President Emmerson Mnangagwa to extend his presidency beyond 2028.
This move comes ahead of the party’s 21st Annual People’s Conference in Bulawayo.
During its provincial inter-district conference, Harare Province passed a resolution calling for constitutional amendments to remove the two-term limit for the presidency or increase the length of each term.
The province argues that these changes would benefit President Mnangagwa and allow him to continue leading the country.
Speaking at the party headquarters yesterday, Zanu PF Harare provincial chairman, Godwills Masimirembwa, said the most critical resolution which came out of the provincial inter-district conference was that the province was “united in that president Mnangagwa should continue to lead the country beyond 2028.”
“The most critical issue which comes is that the Constitution of Zimbabwe must be amended to enable him to continue to lead beyond 2028,” said Masimirembwa.
“We are aware that there are constitutional limitations; first of all, it says the president serves for a maximum of two terms of five years each.
“There is that window of extending the number of years for each term, or tentatively we can remove the term limit from two terms to three terms or scrap the term limit altogether,” added Masimirembwa.
Masimirembwa said there was need to amend the constitutional limitations which did not benefit the current incumbent if amendments for presidential terms were made.
“That as well could be amended to ensure that the incumbent, in other words president Mnangagwa, benefits from any constitutional amendment which increases the number of years of a term or which scraps term limits, said Masimirembwa.
Zanu PF’s Secretary for Education, Research, and Ideology, Charles Tawengwa, confirmed that other party structures have also proposed similar amendments.
The resolutions to accommodate President Mnangagwa beyond 2028 will be presented at the upcoming ruling party’s people conference.
Zanu PF Deputy Secretary for Security Cde Tendai Chirau said party structures were happy with the work being done by Mnangagwa, hence the call for him to complete and realise Vision 2030.
The meeting was attended by Harare Province vice chairman, Ephraim Fundukwa and other senior party members from district level up to Politburo members.
Zanu PF Mashonaland West also resolved yesterday that Mnangagwa should continue in his position and see through his Vision 2030, among several other resolutions to be presented at the Annual People’s Conference.
The province has also stepped up restructuring and preparations for a by-election in Ward 11, Makande in Kariba District, following the death of the sitting councillor.
Preparations have also started for Zanu PF provincial members to attend the party’s People’s Conference.
The party’s main, youth, war veterans and women’s wings, all resolved that Mnangagwa’s execution of Vision 2030 priority projects should continue to maintain the development momentum.
The province’s resolutions were presented at the Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) meeting in Nyabira, about 35 km out of Harare along Chinhoyi Road, yesterday.
Provincial chairman, Mary Mliswa said the resolutions from the provincial party wings would be consolidated and presented in Bulawayo.
“All the wings in the province had the continuation of president Emmerson Mnangagwa in his position as their top resolution.
“Youths resolved that the youth quota in Parliament should be increased and at least 20 percent of all land allocations should be reserved for youths,” said Mliswa.
Politburo member, Ziyambi Ziyambi, said the restructuring would be fully implemented to come up with authentic structures that had a bearing on the party’s performance in the next elections.
“We need to take the issue of restructuring seriously so that we come up with authentic structures that reflect our membership,” said Ziyambi.
Deputy National Secretary for the Commissariat, Webster Shamu, said the restructuring of the party should be done thoroughly according to the instructions of the party.
He summoned the province’s district coordinating committees to attend a meeting for appraisal of how the exercise should be undertaken.
Kariba district was commended for meeting deadlines and following laid down procedures in the restructuring.
The meeting was attended by members of Parliament, provincial members, Central Committee and Politburo members.
Source: The Herald
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