HARARE – Churches on Tuesday urged President Emmerson Mnangagwa to “resist the temptation” of seeking a third term when his second and final five-year term expires in 2028, warning that this would be a coup against the constitution.
Mnangagwa has publicly stated that he has no plan to stay on beyond 2028, which would require a constitutional amendment and a public referendum.
The Zanu PF leader has however done nothing to quell the lobby by his loyalists for him to stay on at least until 2030, or seek a full term through 2033.
“The call to extend the presidential term limits and postpone the 2028 elections is an invitation for the president to be a co-conspirator in overthrowing the constitution of the country which the president is elected to uphold, respect and defend,” the Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations (ZHOCD) said in a statement.
ZHOCD brings together heads of the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishop’s Conference, the Zimbabwe Council of Churches, Evangelical Fellowship in Zimbabwe and the Development of Apostolic Churches in Zimbabwe Africa.
The church leaders said they “took relief from the consistent remarks” made by Mnangagwa affirming his commitment to uphold the constitution, but they expressed concern about “the recent pronouncements by some MPs and political activists urging the president to extend his term of office beyond 2028.”
The church leaders added: “The ZHOCD prayerfully urges the president to resist the calls and the temptation… for the greater good of the country.
“As the Church, we encourage the president to adhere to the constitutional term limits, and to support a peaceful transition of power in the year 2028 following free, fair and credible elections.”
The bishops warned that the proposal to extend Mnangagwa’s term “may irretrievably erode public trust in the electoral processes in Zimbabwe and would destabilise the country at a time when unity and peace are most needed for our economic and social transformation.”
They urged Mnangagwa to prioritise electoral reforms “and ensuring regular free and fair elections to ensure accountability, transparency and the peaceful transfer of power.”
The push for a third term for Mnangagwa has united his opposition rivals who have vowed to mobilise for a “no” vote when the matter is put to a referendum.
