What happens if the next term is extended to 20 years – asks Coltart, as headstrong Zanu PF trudges on with Constitutional amendments
WITH Zanu PF leaders and government adamant that President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s second five-year-term must be extended by two more years, Bulawayo mayor David Coltart has asked how Zimbabweans would react if government was to add another 20-year-term in 2030. The post What happens if the next term is extended to 20 years – asks Coltart, as headstrong Zanu PF trudges on with Constitutional amendments appeared first on NewZimbabwe.com.
Black News 
WITH Zanu PF leaders and government adamant that President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s second five-year-term must be extended by two more years, Bulawayo mayor David Coltart has asked how Zimbabweans would react if government was to add another 20-year-term in 2030.
Constitutional Amendment No. 3 Bill, which was gazetted last week, seeks to change the manner in which Presidents are voted for, lengthen their stay in power to seven years a term from five and extend Mnangagwa’s stay without going for a referendum.
This is despite constitutional provisions (Section 91 and 95) that explicitly set limits and invalidate a sitting President from benefiting in case of any amendments to these as is highlighted in Section 328 (7).
Adding to the conversation, Coltart said Zanu PF could use this logic as an excuse to extend term limits each time Zimbabwe went through any rough patch.
“What happens if the next election cycle is extended to 20 years, never mind two or seven?” said Coltart.
“If you use the logic employed by Zanu PF there is nothing to stop them doing that. Every time we have a drought, or a cyclone, or economic chaos, that will be ushered out as an excuse to extend the cycle.”
Zanu PF leaders, justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi and characters in favour of extending Mnangagwa’s term, have been differentiating term extension and term “lengthening” online, declaring that lengthening does not require a referendum in what has resulted in exiled former cabinet minister Jonathan Moyo being described as ‘worse than a first-year law student.’
The push persists despite Section 328 (7) of the Zimbabwean Constitution declaring that: “Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, an amendment to a term-limit provision, the effect of which is to extend the length of time that a person may hold or occupy any public office, does not apply in relation to any person who held or occupied that office, or an equivalent office, at any time before the amendment.”
If the controversial Constitutional Amendment No. 3 Bill is passed, Mnangagwa will achieve his dream of hanging on until 2030 as was agreed by Zanu PF at its Mutare and Gweru conferences.
Having presented himself as a constitutionalist, Mnangagwa is reportedly keen on extending his stay in power to allegedly shut out Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who is against the illegality.
A Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) memo that was leaked to the media last week revealed that Mnangagwa chose to ignore warnings from the secret service and trudge on with his ‘coup’ attempts.
The post What happens if the next term is extended to 20 years – asks Coltart, as headstrong Zanu PF trudges on with Constitutional amendments appeared first on NewZimbabwe.com.
