83-year-old Zimbabwe President Mnangagwa sign law wey go keep am for power till 2030
Wia dis foto come from, Tafadzwa Ufumeli/Getty Images
Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa don sign into law one constitutional amendment Act wey extend im term for office to 2030.
Tok-tok pesin to di govment Nick Mangwana confam dis development on Tuesday.
"Signed, sealed and delivered – e be law now," Mnangagwa tok for one post on X, and e attach copy of di legislation to di post.
Di law also cancel direct presidential elections, and introduce one process wey be say na parliament go choose future presidents.
Wetin dis new law mean na say instead of President Mnangagwa tenure to end for 2028, e go rule till 2030. E also don effectively end di presidential ambitions of Vice President General Constantino Chiwenga through di electoral process, as na parliaments go dey choose future leaders, and tori bin dey say .
Na for June, both di Senate and di House of Representatives for di Southern African kontri pass di bill to extend di presidential term for office from five to seven years, wey go allow President Emmerson Mnangagwa to remain in power until 2030.
More dan 200 lawmakers bin in favour of di draft legislation. Di vote pass di threshold wey dey required for a two-thirds majority to amend di constitution.
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Key changes for di new law
- Parliament go now choose di President, e no go be through direct public vote again
- Di terms of office for di President and Members of Parliament now na seven years from di five years e be bifor.
- Di Attorney-General now must meet di qualifications wey dey required for appointment as a Supreme Court judge
- Di President fit appoint 10 additional senators, increasing Senate membership from 80 to 90
- Responsibility for voter registration don shift from di Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to di Registrar-General, as one new Delimitation Commission go take ova constituency and ward boundary delimitation
- Vice-President go act as President until Parliament choose a replacement within 30 days in di event of a vacancy.
83-year-old Mnangagwa bin take ova power for 2017 afta e comot long-time ruler Robert Mugabe wit di support of di military - and e go on to win disputed elections for 2018 and 2023.
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One slogan wey say "Na still am go be leader for 2030" begin dey loud for Zanu-PF rallies, as supporters insist say Mnangagwa need remain for power make e fit complete im "Agenda 2030".
Dis na di climax of one campaign by di ruling Zanu-PF party – wey don dey in power since independence for 1980 - to amend di constitution and extend presidential terms, one plan wey bin receive cabinet backing for February.
Opposition parties, civil society groups and constitutional lawyers don argue say changes wey important like dis suppose go through national referendum, instead of make parliament alone approve am.
At first, many supporters bin hail Mnangagwa as reformer wey go revive Zimbabwe economy and strengthen democracy. But instead, im time for office don face plenty economic wahala, elections wey pipo disagree wit, and growing concerns say democracy for di kontri dey go backwards.
Known as "di crocodile" sake of im cunny for politics, im final five-year term suppose expire for 2028.
Di latest constitutional changes don ginger debate ova Zimbabwe political future, as opponents warn say di amendments fit weaken democratic accountability, while supporters maintain say dem dey necessary to ensure continuity and stability.
For one referendum for 2013, Zimbabweans bin vote for new constitution wey bin introduce presidential term limits sake of Mugabe grip on power. E bin rule di kontri since independence for 1980.
Di new law limit president to serve for a maximum of two terms and add say any move to extend term limits go need to dey endorsed by voters in a referendum. Di law also say a sitting president no fit benefit from any extension unless voters give dia approval in a second referendum.
However, di kontri Constitutional Court bin dismiss one legal challenge wey bin dey seek to block di bill.
Who be Emmerson Mnangagwa?
Dem born am for di central region of Zvishavane, e be Karanga man - di largest clan of Zimbabwe majority Shona community.
Mnangagwa, na lawyer wey grow up for Zambia.
According to one United Nations report for 2001, e dey seen as "di architect of di commercial activities of Zanu-PF".
Dis largely relate to di operations of di Zimbabwean army and businessmen for di Democratic Republic of Congo.
- Known as "di crocodile" sake of im political shrewdness - im Zanu-PF faction is "Lacoste"
- E receive military training for China and Egypt
- Di Rhodesian forces torture am afta im "crocodile gang" stage attacks
- E help direct Zimbabwe war of independence for di 1960s and 1970s
- E bicom di kontri spymaster during di 1980s civil conflict, in which thousands of civilians bin dey killed, but e deny any role for di massacres
- E chop accuse of masterminding attacks on opposition supporters afta 2008 election
- E say im go deliver jobs, and seen as open to economic reforms
- E survive several alleged assassination attempts, wey e blame on Mugabe supporters
