HARARE, Feb. 16 (NewsDay Live) — A group of war veterans, represented by constitutional law expert Lovemore Madhuku, have filed an urgent application at the Constitutional Court seeking to nullify proposed constitutional amendments aimed at extending President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s rule to 2030.
The application, lodged in terms of Section 167(2)(d) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe and Rule 32(1) of the Constitutional Court Rules, 2025 (promulgated under Statutory Instrument 19 of 2025), argues that the President failed to fulfil his constitutional obligations in relation to Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3.
In their court papers, the war veterans contend that by presiding over and chairing Cabinet deliberations on Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3, and by being party to its approval by Cabinet, Mnangagwa violated Sections 90(1), 90(2)(b), and 196(2) of the Constitution.
The applicants are seeking a declaratory order stating:
“In presiding over and/or chairing Cabinet deliberations and processes pertaining to Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3, and in being party to its approval by Cabinet, the 1st Respondent failed to fulfil his constitutional obligations.”
They argue that the President is constitutionally obliged to act in accordance with the supreme law and to uphold, defend, and respect the Constitution at all times.
Part of the draft order further reads: “As a just and equitable order under Section 175(6)(b) of the Constitution, it is declared that any constitutional amendment, transitional arrangement, or continuation-in-office mechanism that has the purpose or effect of extending the tenure of, or conferring an incumbency benefit upon, a person who held the office of President before the amendment, is invalid and of no force or effect in respect of that incumbent by operation of Section 328(7) of the Constitution.”
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