CHIWEGA BLOCKS MNANGAGWA FROM A THIRD TERM WITH MILITARY SUPPORT

In a surprising political twist, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has stopped President Emmerson Mnangagwa from trying to stay in office for a third term. Chiwenga, who has strong support from the military, made sure that Mnangagwa had to give up his plans. Mnangagwa, who had hoped to change the rules to stay in power, has now been forced to follow the law. He has faced pressure from both his own supporters and people inside the government who do not agree with his plans.

Mnangagwa became President in 2017 after a coup removed the long-time ruler Robert Mugabe. Since then, he has tried to stay in control of the country, even managing to push aside the military’s influence in last year’s elections. Instead, he used the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) and another group, Forever Associates Zimbabwe (FAZ), to help him win the elections. Some people saw this as a way for him to stop the military from getting involved, but it also made others worry about how fair and open the elections were.

The military leaders, who did not say much in public, were not happy with Mnangagwa’s decision to rely on the CIO and FAZ instead of them. They were upset behind the scenes and wanted to stop him from staying in office longer than what the constitution allows.

Things reached a breaking point when Chiwenga, who has a lot of power in both the military and government, began making stronger moves. He showed that he wanted more control and was not afraid to push back against Mnangagwa. The promotion of his close friend, Lieutenant-General Anselem Sanyatwe, to be the head of the Zimbabwe National Army was a big sign of this power shift. Sanyatwe had been sent away to Tanzania by Mnangagwa after the 2017 coup, but now he was back in a top position, showing that Chiwenga was gaining more influence.

Chiwenga’s desire to become president became even clearer during his high-profile wedding in December. The way he spoke and acted at the wedding made many people think he was preparing himself to be the next president. But even with Chiwenga’s moves, Mnangagwa still tried to find ways to secure a third term in office. He used other people to speak for him and tried to change the opinions of the public and his party to support his plan.

At first, Mnangagwa’s campaign to stay in office was very strong. He even said he wanted to stay in power until 2030. But over time, as more people started to oppose this idea, both in politics and across the country, the campaign started to slow down. Mnangagwa soon realized that trying to stay in power could lead to serious political problems. So, he decided to step back. Instead of pushing for a third term, he now says he respects the constitution and the rule of law.

In a recent interview with “Brick by Brick” magazine, Mnangagwa denied ever wanting a third term. He said he always respected democratic principles and the limits set by the constitution. He also pointed out that his party, Zanu PF, had never done anything to break the rules about presidential terms.

Under Zimbabwe’s constitution, any attempt to change the presidential term limits would need a lot of support in parliament. A two-thirds majority in both houses would be required, and there could even be a need for a referendum where the people vote on the issue. Even then, the constitution says that any changes made cannot benefit the current president. This means that even if the rules were changed, Mnangagwa would not be able to stay in power.

This whole situation shows just how complicated politics is in Zimbabwe. Mnangagwa has now accepted that he cannot stay in power longer than allowed, but this opens up questions about the future of the country’s leadership. Chiwenga’s growing influence, with the support of the military, suggests that he may be the next leader. This could lead to big changes in Zimbabwe’s political future, as well as its path toward democracy and good governance. The balance of power in the country is shifting, and it is clear that there will be important changes ahead.