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Divided opposition and succession crisis favour 2030 term extension

Pro-Zanu PF political commentator Kudzai Mutisi has argued that the lack of a strong opposition party in Zimbabwe, coupled with the “absence” of a clear successor for President Emmerson Mnangagwa, could pave the way for the success of the 2030 presidential term extension proposal.

Mutisi shared these views during an X Space hosted by Asakhe Online on Tuesday morning, where participants deliberated on the proposed term extension.

Listen to the discussion here: https://x.com/citezw/status/1879053362232254512

Mutisi noted that divisions within opposition parties, particularly the CCC, could play into the ruling party’s hands.

โ€œParliamentarians, especially from the CCC, lack clarity about their leadership. Chamisa has distanced himself, and now thereโ€™s a tug-of-war between Welshman Ncube and Sengezo Tshabangu, marked by significant divisions. If support for the 2030 proposal comes from the opposition, it is likely to succeed without question. If a referendum is held, Zanu PF can easily win because the opposition is practically non-existent. The opposition is dead,โ€ he said.

Mutisi also highlighted a leadership vacuum within Zanu PF itself, noting a lack of a definitive successor to Mnangagwa.

โ€œThereโ€™s another crisisโ€”people do not want to lead, even within Zanu PF. As much as we are looking at elections in 2028 or 2030, there is no clear successor. No one has stepped forward definitively to say, โ€˜I want to lead.โ€™

โ€œThere are only speculations about potential candidates, but no one has made an outright declaration. At this stage, there are no visible factions. This mantra of extending the term could easily become a reality because thereโ€™s no one to challenge it effectively. If itโ€™s opposed, who would they be opposing it for?โ€

Mnangagwa’s deputy, Constantino Chiwenga, is reportedly eyeing the presidency amid claims that the two had an agreement following the 2017 ousting of long-time leader Robert Mugabe. According to these reports, the agreement stipulated that Chiwenga would succeed Mnangagwa. However, Zanu PF has publicly denied the existence of any such arrangement.

Some participants in the discussion argued that the ruling party is focusing more on exploiting the opposition’s weaknesses rather than addressing pressing economic development issues.

Youngerson Matete noted that the term extension debate is driven by political motivations, and efforts to counter it should focus on both political and legal strategies.

โ€œWe need to address the political side of this issue as well. Despite what the law says, politics often outweighs legality. So, when we strategise to oppose the term extension, we must tackle it from both legal and political fronts,โ€ Matete said.

Tanaka Mrewa

Tanaka Mrewa is a journalist based in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. She is a seasoned multimedia journalist with eight years of experience in the media industry. Her expertise extends to crafting hard news, features, and investigative stories, with a primary focus on politics, elections, human rights, climate change, gender issues, service delivery, corruption, and health. In addition to her writing skills, she is proficient in video filming and editing, enabling her to create documentaries. Tanaka is also involved in fact-check story production and podcasting.

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