83-Year-Old Zimbabwean President Signs Law to Extend His Tenure in Office
- Zimbabwe has extended the presidential term for Mnangagwa to 2030, eliminating direct elections
- The Amendment has reduced the presidential election power, shifting authority to Parliament
- Public outcry over the development reflected concerns over democracy and accountability in Zimbabwe
President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe has signed a new constitutional amendment act that extended his tenure by two years in office. This was confirmed by the spokesperson for his government, Nick Mangwana, on Tuesday, July 7.
Mangwana, in a social media post, stated that the law is "signed, sealed and delivered", while attaching a copy of the new law to the post.
Source: Twitter
According to the BBC, the new law cancelled direct presidential elections and said that only the parliament would be able to choose the president in the future.
What this law means is that rather than the tenure of President Mnangagwa ending in 2028, he will rule the country till 2030. The development effectively ended the presidential ambitions of Vice President General Constantino Chiwenga through the electoral process, as only Parliament will choose the future leader of the country.
The Senate and House of Representatives of the southern African country had passed the bill to extend the presidential term of the country from five years to seven years in June. The bill will allow President Mnangagwa to remain in office till 2030. It was reported that over 200 lawmakers voted in support of the bill to amend the constitution.
Reactions as Zimbabwean president's tenure extended
The news has started generating mixed reactions on social media. Below are some of their comments:
Jackson commented on the quest for change in the country:
"The biggest advantage Zimbabwe's politicians have isn't money or power. It's knowing that many of the people who want change have already left, while those who remain rarely force accountability. A government that fears no consequences has no reason to change."
Source: AFP
Phathizwe decried poor consciousness in the country:
"He is unopposed, by opposition, young people, civil society.....no one challenged him.... Instead, they are all in the UK, Thembisa, Alex, Hillbrow in South Africa. Instead of changing the lives of millions of unborn Zimbabweans by FIXING their country!"
Moketle Mokoene decried abuse of power in Zimbabwe:
"Power has a way of changing people's minds. Politicians fear being irrelevant after experiencing so much attention. There will come a time when such leaders are no longer leading Africans. Democracy is being used to change the rules, and it is all legal according to the colonial laws British people left behind. Prosperity to Zimbabwe, regardless of your path."
Shenge decried the poor politics in the country:
"The plot was lost when the late president felt like no one was deserving of ruling the country, and fell into dictatorship. Dr Nkomo is turning in his grave! They use forceful intimidation to rule over and over again. This isn't right. AU is always quiet on issues that really matter."
You can read more reactions on X here:
New African president visits Tinubu
Legit.ng earlier reported that President Bola Tinubu has welcomed his counterpart from the neighbouring Benin Republic, H.E Romuald Wadagni, at his residence in Lagos.
Bayo Onanuga, the special adviser to the president, shared the video of the private visit of the African president to Tinubu.
This is coming months after President Tinubu's administration helped the country in stopping a military coup meant to topple its past government.
Source: Legit.ng
