By Correspondent
The recent State of the Nation Address (SONA) by President Emmerson Mnangagwa at the new Parliament in Mount Hampden was punctuated by two deeply symbolic events: a disruptive power outage and a politically charged chant by Parliamentarians. These incidents have converged to send a clear, powerful, and controversial message about the immediate future of Zimbabwe’s political landscape.
1. The Power Outage: A National Symbol
The dramatic moment of President Mnangagwa concluding his SONA speech with the aid of a torch is fraught with symbolism for all Zimbabweans.
For Zimbabweans: The power cut, even in the nation’s newest and most modern building, starkly highlighted the ongoing national crisis of electricity supply (load-shedding). While Parliament attributed a similar past incident to a technical glitch from bad weather, for the ordinary citizen who endures hours of darkness daily, the event served as a jarring contradiction between the President’s vision of national progress and the tangible decay of key infrastructure. It represents the gap between political rhetoric and lived reality.
For Parliamentarians: While opposition members likely saw it as an embarrassing indictment of the government’s performance, ruling party members may have tried to minimise it as a minor inconvenience. Regardless, the incident forced all lawmakers to confront, in a high-profile setting, the central economic failure that haunts the country.
2. The Chant: “2030 NdEya Emmerson”
The subsequent singing of “2030 ndeya Emmerson” (2030 belongs to Emmerson) by Parliamentarians immediately after the SONA is a significant political act that demands critical analysis.
What the Singing Means to Parliamentarians and ZANU-PF:
Confirmation of Party Position: This public chant by elected officials serves as a loud, collective endorsement of the resolution recently passed at the ZANU-PF annual conference in Mutare. At that conference, the party formally instructed the government to initiate the legal and constitutional process to extend President Mnangagwa’s term of office past the constitutional limit of 2028 and through to 2030.
A Show of Force and Unity: The singing, particularly in Parliament—the legislative body responsible for enacting constitutional change—is a highly visible show of loyalty and internal unity within the ruling party, aiming to quash any speculation of factional opposition to the extension.
Ignoring Constitutional Limits: For the Parliamentarians endorsing the chant, it signals their agreement to the party line: they are prepared to amend the supreme law of the land, the Constitution, to accommodate the political ambitions of their leader, thereby placing party directive above the existing constitutional framework.
What the Singing Means to Zimbabweans:
The Threat to Constitutionalism: For Zimbabweans committed to constitutional democracy, the chant is deeply alarming. It signifies an intent to violate the fundamental principle of term limits, which was enshrined in the 2013 Constitution precisely to avoid the extended rule seen under former President Robert Mugabe.
Erosion of Electoral Power: The public push for 2030 suggests to many that the ruling party intends to circumvent the next scheduled presidential election in 2028, effectively diminishing the power of the electorate to choose their leader. It is viewed by critics as a move toward further authoritarianism and a capture of the State’s institutions.
3. The Constitutional Path to 2030: Vote vs. Amendment
The central question raised by the chant is whether Zimbabweans will have to vote. The answer is twofold: Yes, the final decision requires a national vote, but not the presidential election itself.
President Mnangagwa was elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2023. Under Section 91(1) of the 2013 Constitution, a person is disqualified from being elected President if they have already held office for two terms. His second and final term is currently scheduled to end in 2028.
To enable him to rule until 2030, the government and ZANU-PF must successfully complete a constitutional amendment process:
Step Process Requirement Significance
1. Drafting & Publication The Justice Ministry drafts the Constitutional Amendment Bill, specifically targeting the presidential term limit clause (Section 91). The Bill must be published in the Government Gazette. Officially puts the amendment proposal on the public record.
2. Public Consultation The Parliament must ensure the public is given a period (usually 90 days) to debate the Bill and submit their views. Mandatory public hearings across the country. Provides an opportunity for citizens, civil society, and the opposition to formally object.
3. Parliamentary Vote The Bill is debated and put to a vote in both the National Assembly and the Senate. Must pass by a two-thirds majority of the total membership of both houses. ZANU-PF’s effective control of a two-thirds majority makes this step highly likely to pass.
4. National Referendum As the amendment seeks to alter a fundamental right or principle of the Constitution (which the term limits are considered), the final step requires a national referendum. The amendment must be approved by a majority of the votes cast in the referendum. This is the point where Zimbabweans must vote. If the referendum is defeated, the amendment fails, and Mnangagwa must step down in 2028.
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