ZIMBABWE People’s Revolutionary Army (Zipra) war veterans have added their voice to the outcry over the proposed presidential term extension by a ruling Zanu PF party faction describing the proposal as grossly “unconstitutional”.
Zanu PF has been agitating to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term in office by two years to 2030 against the constitutional mandate of two terms.
The Zanu PF national people’s conference held in Bulawayo in October last year endorsed a resolution to extend the term limit, with Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs minister Ziyambi Ziyambi saying government was moving towards moving a constitutional amendment to effect it.
However, Mnangagwa, who turns 83 this year, has said he does not intend to stay in office beyond 2028, adding that he will go and rest.
Despite that, the Zanu PF leader has not denounced the 2030 agenda.
Addressing journalists in Bulawayo yesterday, Zipra national spokesperson Buster Magwizi warned Zanu PF functionaries pushing the agenda saying the Constitution should be adhered to for the benefit of the nation.
“We have witnessed a section of some politicians moving the motion to extend the presidential term despite concerns from the public,” he said.
Magwizi said there was a problem of several individuals who are being rewarded for supporting the extension of the presidential term.
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“There (is money) and vehicles being dished out to those bootlicking corrupt individuals for the aim of extending the presidential term for their own benefit,” he said.
He said war veterans were living in misery without benefiting for liberating the nation.
“We did not fight for the benefit of a certain section of individuals or politicians, but for the benefit of the nation, but a small section of society is benefiting at the expense of the whole population,” Magwizi said.
“As war veterans, we are worried about the economy due to corruption. At the moment, the citizens are suffering due to the bad economy and we as war veterans, our welfare has not been taken care off.”
His deputy Joachim Moyo weighed in calling on Mnangagwa to uphold the Constitution.
“We are worried that the President has failed to punish those who are moving the motion for his term extension,” he said.
“Corruption has moved our nation from being the breadbasket of southern Africa to a basket case, leading to poor standards of living for the citizens as politicians have been looting resources for their own benefit.”
Moyo said government officials should be democratic so that they rule according to the will of the people and not concentrate on lining their own pockets.
