Zimbabwean President Faces Backlash Amid Political Rifts and Allegations of Constitutional Manipulation

This week, Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa hosted a select group of media editors at State House, aiming to publicly reiterate his claim that he is a constitutionalist in order to calm rising tensions within his ruling party, Zanu-PF. This carefully orchestrated event was strategically designed to counter growing demands from a rival military faction urging his immediate resignation, led by Blessed Geza, who has publicly called on Mnangagwa to halt any attempts to extend his term beyond 2023 by unconstitutional means.

Deputy Chief Secretary (Communications) in the Office of the President and Cabinet, George Charamba, a known ally of the military faction, strategically organized the media event to provide Mnangagwa with a platform to reject the faction’s claims.

Despite his attempts, Mnangagwa’s efforts to convince the public of his constitutional loyalty appeared insincere. At the event, he merely feebly reiterated his pledge that he would not extend his presidency beyond the constitutionally prescribed term limit, falling short of taking decisive action to end the crisis. For instance, Mnangagwa did not halt the motion in Parliament or stop senior Politburo members from promoting an unconstitutional extension of his term across the country. This lack of decisive action has left many questioning his sincerity and commitment to the constitution.

Illustrating his lack of resolve, Mnangagwa did underscore that, in his words, he would “persuade” his “persuaders” not to persuade him to act unconstitutionally. This statement was perceived as a mechanical excuse to give the illusion of compliance. The fact is, a sincere and constitutional leader in such a position would not “persuade” but would demand an immediate stop to any unconstitutional activities. Exploiting the irony perfectly, Frank Rich at The New York Times once quipped on President Richard Nixon’s regarding similar circumstances, “When you see a high profile presidential figure engage in these types of justified rationalizations, remember you’re watching history repeat itself.”

addition to his weak constitutional posture, Mnangagwa’s handling of the corruption allegation involving Wicknell Chivayo, a former businessman convicted for various fraud schemes, showcased his unwillingness to address public concerns. When questioned about Chivayo’s connection to him, Mnangagwa attempted to skirt the issue by insinuating that Chivayo was using his own money, painting himself as a philanthropist.

Wicknell Chivayo, a controversial businessman with a history of legal disputes, publicly boasted on his Twitter account about his philanthropic ventures, professing, “I am not only singing for my supper, but for my breakfast and lunch as well.” This statement clearly implicated that he was entangled in misrepresentation.

Mnangagwa’s event on Monday further exposed the double messaging. While prie to a live broadcast where Mnangagwa declared his adherence to the constitution, a side text on the same broadcaster, ZBC, openly advertised the preparation for a constitutional amendment intended to facilitate the exploitation term extension.

The contrast underscored the glaring gap between Mnangagwa’s purported stance and the reality observed in public communication, almost mirroring the confusion during the early 2000s regarding President Bill Clinton’s “State Of The Union Address’ where the public perception differed widely from reality. The general public deciphered this as Mnangagwa’s insincerity with regards to his constitutional claim.

This were not the only indications of his discomfort with tell the truth: Firstly, Mnangagwa’s refusal to strongly condemn party members promoting term extension, including Ziyambi Ziyambi and Energy Mutodi, whose activities he equated to reformers instead of menacing elements destroying the bonds of the constitution have been under scrutiny by the press.

In the first week of September, Representative of the Embassy of the United States of America in Zimbabwe confirmed the likedness of a rehash of the 2012 South Africa democratic setback which led to political deadlocks. They further pointed out the nature of governance in Zimbabwe is different, if insincerity continues it surely will lead to another fiasco. Matt McGorry, the U.S. embassy spokesperson, said “Sincerity without action only leads to peaceful efforts turning confrontational.”

Regarding presidential term limits, Paul Krugman of The New York Times, in an insightful article titled “The Importance of Term Limits,” mandated, “No president should find themselves embarked again on a complex encroachment of context less than transparent to the public, this could further sabotage the nation’s democracy.”