{"id":558,"date":"2025-11-07T06:52:36","date_gmt":"2025-11-07T06:52:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/?p=558"},"modified":"2025-11-07T06:52:36","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T06:52:36","slug":"zimbabweans-abroad-reject-mnangagwas-bid-to-rule-beyond-2028","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/?p=558","title":{"rendered":"Zimbabweans abroad reject Mnangagwa\u2019s bid to rule beyond 2028"},"content":{"rendered":"

JOHANNESBURG \u2014 ZIMBABWEANS in the diaspora have strongly condemned what they describe as a dangerous and unconstitutional campaign by President Emmerson Mnangagwa\u2019s allies to extend his rule beyond 2028, warning that such a move would plunge the country deeper into political and economic crisis.<\/strong><\/p>\n

At a meeting in Rosebank, Johannesburg, this week, political activists, economists, and human rights defenders vowed to resist any attempt to amend Zimbabwe\u2019s Constitution to allow Mnangagwa to stay in power after completing his two-term limit.<\/p>\n

The gathering was part of growing regional mobilisation against what activists have branded \u201cAgenda 2030\u201d \u2014 a push by a faction within the ruling ZANU-PF to keep Mnangagwa in office indefinitely.<\/p>\n

Zimbabwe Communist Party (ZCP) secretary-general Nqabutho Mabhena, said the attempt to prolong Mnangagwa\u2019s rule \u201creflects the desperation of a small elite that has captured the state and fears losing control over its privileges.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not about leadership or ideology \u2014 it\u2019s about class interests,\u201d said Mabhena. \u201cThe ruling elite has benefited immensely from corruption and state patronage, and now it wants to bend the law to protect those gains.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mnangagwa, who came to power in 2017 after the ouster of Robert Mugabe, was re-elected in the disputed 2023 general election.<\/p>\n

His second and final term is set to end in 2028 under Zimbabwe\u2019s 2013 Constitution, which restored a strict two-term presidential limit to prevent lifetime presidencies that had characterised Mugabe\u2019s era.<\/p>\n

However, in recent months, several senior ZANU-PF officials have floated the idea of \u201cretaining Mnangagwa beyond 2028 for continuity,\u201d sparking outrage among civil society groups and the opposition.<\/p>\n

Critics see this as the early groundwork for a constitutional amendment similar to those enacted by authoritarian leaders elsewhere in Africa to extend their rule \u2014 from Uganda\u2019s Yoweri Museveni to Rwanda\u2019s Paul Kagame and Cameroon\u2019s Paul Biya.<\/p>\n

Constitutional experts have warned that dismantling term limits would erode Zimbabwe\u2019s already fragile democracy.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe two-term limit is the last remaining guardrail of accountability,\u201d said Harare-based lawyer and governance analyst Linda Chinamasa.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce it\u2019s removed, the state effectively becomes a personal estate of the ruling elite. It sets a precedent that the Constitution is negotiable \u2014 and that\u2019s the beginning of tyranny.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mabhena argued that extending Mnangagwa\u2019s rule would \u201cconfirm what many already know \u2014 that in Zimbabwe, the law serves the powerful.\u201d<\/p>\n

He warned that the consequences would be devastating: increased repression, investor flight, and further international isolation.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the Constitution can be rewritten to suit one man, no citizen\u2019s rights are safe,\u201d Mabhena told CAJ News Africa.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt would send a dangerous message that leadership can be inherited or prolonged at will, while the people\u2019s will is ignored.\u201d<\/p>\n

The diaspora activists stressed that the fight against \u201cAgenda 2030\u201d must go beyond social media outrage and manifest in grassroots mobilisation.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to educate our communities about their rights and organise to defend them collectively,\u201d said Mabhena. \u201cThe right to choose leadership is not a privilege; it is a hard-won gain that must be protected.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zimbabwe\u2019s diaspora \u2014 estimated at over five million people \u2014 has played an increasingly influential role in shaping discourse around governance and democracy.<\/p>\n

Many were forced to migrate by economic collapse, political repression, and human rights abuses under ZANU-PF rule.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe diaspora understands the cost of misrule firsthand \u2014 we live it every day,\u201d Mabhena said. \u201cOur role is to raise awareness, coordinate international pressure, and mobilise resources to resist any attempt to undermine constitutional order.\u201d<\/p>\n

Analysts warn that if Mnangagwa\u2019s allies persist, Zimbabwe could face renewed political instability and tougher international sanctions.<\/p>\n

The African Union (AU) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) are also likely to come under pressure to take a firmer stance on constitutional term limits \u2014 a key principle in the AU Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance.<\/p>\n

\u201cExtending term limits is not simply a legal adjustment \u2014 it\u2019s a political strategy to preserve a failing system,\u201d Mabhena added.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery delay in leadership renewal deepens Zimbabwe\u2019s crisis. The Constitution is not just a piece of paper; it is the people\u2019s shield against abuse of power.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Zimbabwe edges closer to 2028, the battle lines are being drawn between a ruling elite determined to retain control and citizens \u2014 at home and abroad \u2014 who insist that the country\u2019s future cannot be held hostage to one man\u2019s ambition.<\/p>\n

– CAJ News<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

JOHANNESBURG \u2014 ZIMBABWEANS in the diaspora have strongly condemned what they describe as a dangerous and unconstitutional campaign by President Emmerson Mnangagwa\u2019s allies to extend his rule beyond 2028, warning that such a move would plunge the country deeper into political and economic crisis. At a meeting in Rosebank, Johannesburg, this week, political activists, economists, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1015,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,5,142,8,9,11,45,3,41,12],"tags":[167],"class_list":["post-558","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-africa","category-featured","category-highlights","category-hot-topics","category-latest-updates","category-must-read","category-national","category-news","category-politics-news","category-politics","tag-zimbabwe-communist-party-zcp-secretary-general-nqabutho-mabhena"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Mabhena-1-150x150.jpg","medium":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Mabhena-1-300x185.jpg","medium_large":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Mabhena-1.jpg","large":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Mabhena-1.jpg","1536x1536":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Mabhena-1.jpg","2048x2048":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Mabhena-1.jpg","post-thumbnail":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Mabhena-1.jpg"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"administrator","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a3d5ebfe727f13fb325bd400aaaf5e789d3e2e20898883d9ae8e3d3d42d58cef?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":"0","magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"JOHANNESBURG \u2014 ZIMBABWEANS in the diaspora have strongly condemned what they describe as a dangerous and unconstitutional campaign by President Emmerson Mnangagwa\u2019s allies to extend his rule beyond 2028, warning that such a move would plunge the country deeper into political and economic crisis. At a meeting in Rosebank, Johannesburg, this week, political activists, economists, […]","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["Africa","Featured","Highlights","Hot Topics","Latest Updates","Must Read","National","News","Politics","Politics"],"magazineBlocksPostViewCount":48,"magazineBlocksPostReadTime":4,"magazine_blocks_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Mabhena-1.jpg",700,431,false],"medium":["https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Mabhena-1-300x185.jpg",300,185,true],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Mabhena-1-150x150.jpg",150,150,true]},"magazine_blocks_author":{"display_name":"administrator","author_link":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/?author=2"},"magazine_blocks_comment":0,"magazine_blocks_author_image":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a3d5ebfe727f13fb325bd400aaaf5e789d3e2e20898883d9ae8e3d3d42d58cef?s=96&d=mm&r=g","magazine_blocks_category":"Africa<\/a> Featured<\/a> Highlights<\/a> Hot Topics<\/a> Latest Updates<\/a> Must Read<\/a> National<\/a> News<\/a> Politics<\/a> Politics<\/a>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/558","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=558"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/558\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1017,"href":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/558\/revisions\/1017"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1015"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=558"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=558"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=558"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}