from MARCUS MUSHONGA in Harare, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe Bureau
HARARE, (CAJ News) – RETIRED military commanders and former liberation war veterans have publicly challenged President Emmerson Mnangagwa and hardliners within the ruling ZANU-PF, condemning what they describe as unconstitutional efforts to extend the president’s tenure beyond its legal limit.
Mnangagwa’s current term is set to end in 2028.
However, factions within ZANU-PF, particularly those accused of benefiting from entrenched corruption and patronage networks, are reportedly pushing for constitutional amendments that would prolong his rule to 2030 without broad public consent.
Leading the criticism, retired Lieutenant General Winston Sigauke Mapuranga warned that any attempt to alter the Constitution outside of democratic processes, including a referendum, would constitute a direct violation of the supreme law and the principles of the liberation struggle.
“We did not take up arms so that one generation of rulers could simply replace another,” Mapuranga said.
“We fought against a system that denied the majority their voice. That system treated citizens as subjects, not participants in shaping their own future.”
He described the proposed constitutional changes as a fundamental threat to Zimbabwe’s democratic framework, arguing that the Constitution is a binding covenant between the state and its citizens, not a tool to be manipulated by political elites.
“To amend the Constitution in order to extend the tenure of one individual, to concentrate power rather than disperse it, and to undermine succession safeguards is to erode the very foundation of the republic,” he said. “Such actions amount to tyranny.”
Mapuranga further cautioned that silence in the face of constitutional violations would carry lasting consequences, particularly for those who once fought for democratic governance.
Earlier, retired Air Marshal Henry Muchena also denounced the reported plans, warning against dismantling constitutional safeguards to serve narrow political interests.
He emphasised that former freedom fighters do not support any move that undermines the rule of law.
“The symbols of the state may have changed, but the impulse to govern without accountability remains,” Mapuranga added.
“True democracy demands consent, transparency and respect for constitutional order.”
The warnings come amid growing concern from civil society and citizen groups, who report increasing pressure and intimidation as debates over constitutional amendments intensify.
Observers say the unfolding developments pose a critical test for Zimbabwe’s commitment to constitutionalism, democratic accountability and the rule of law.
– CAJ News