Several opposition leaders and human rights defenders came together last week to launch the Defend the Constitution Platform (DCP), promising to fight against ZANU-PF’s plan to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term in office to 2030.
The group argues that changing the Constitution to allow Mnangagwa to stay in power without holding a referendum would be a violation of the country’s supreme law, and they are determined to resist it.
Mnangagwa was elected in 2018 and 2023, with both elections disputed. He is currently serving his second and final term, which ends in 2028, as the Constitution limits presidents to two five-year terms.
Speaking to journalists in Harare on Wednesday, Jameson Timba, the convenor of DCP, called on Zimbabweans to unite and oppose what he described as constitutional mutilation by ZANU-PF.
He also vowed to mobilise citizens to protest any attempts to amend the Constitution. Said Timba:
“The DCP calls upon all Zimbabweans of goodwill to join this Patriotic Coalition of the Willing.
“We will defend the Constitution lawfully, peacefully and resolutely — in the streets, in the courts and in Parliament. The Constitution is our shield. Defending it is defending our future.”
The grouping includes figures such as labour lawyer Munyaradzi Gwisai, Transform Zimbabwe leader Jacob Ngarivhume, NDWG leader Job Sikhala, and Harare MP Urgency Gumbo, among others. It has invited political leaders, civil society groups, youth and women’s organisations to join the platform.
The group stressed that it is not forming a political party, but creating a space for Zimbabweans to resist what it calls constitutional mutilation. Other notable members include ARTUZ leader Obert Masaraure and former ZINASU president Emmanuel Sitima.
Timba said defending the Constitution is patriotism, not rebellion, and the platform will use all available means to mobilise Zimbabweans against the proposed 2030 Agenda.
Legal experts, including Professor Lovemore Madhuku, have said that extending Mnangagwa’s term beyond 2028 would require two national referendums, as the Constitution demands.
Mnangagwa has repeatedly denied plans to extend his presidency, pledging to step down in 2028 and allow ZANU-PF to choose a successor, but he has not publicly opposed calls for him to remain in power.
Related:
Chamisa’s Sudden Return To Politics Raises Eyebrows
Mwonzora Says No Constitutional Loophole For Mnangagwa Term Extension