By Leonnel Mhuka
Opposition leader Senator Jameson Timba speaking on Change Radio on Tuesday issued one of the strongest warnings yet against what he calls a “direct assault on the Constitution,” following reports that the ruling party, ZANU-PF, has formalized plans to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term of office to 2030.
Speaking during a public discussion on constitutionalism and governance, Timba described the moment as “the greatest test of the rule of law since 2013,” warning that the proposed term extension would mark “an attempt to rewrite the people’s will.”
“I’m honored to join this important conversation on the defense of our constitution, the single most sacred covenant between the state and its citizens,” Timba said. “The ruling party has now made official its intention to extend the president’s term to 2030 — a move that openly violates the spirit and the letter of the Constitution that the people themselves adopted in 2013.”
Timba emphasized that the president’s legitimacy derives directly from the people, not from Parliament or the ruling party, arguing that any attempt to alter term limits without a referendum is unconstitutional and illegitimate.
“Parliament may make laws, but it cannot manufacture legitimacy,” he declared. “That legitimacy flows only from the people’s consent, expressed through free and fair elections within fixed constitutional limits.”
He warned that allowing those in power to rewrite the will of the people would mark the end of democracy. “Once the will of the people can be rewritten by those in power, democracy ceases to exist,” he said.
The senator took aim at the government’s so-called “2030 Agenda,” which has been promoted as a continuation of current policies and projects, particularly those disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Timba dismissed this justification as a façade, saying the agenda represents “continuity of unaccountability, continuity of corruption, and continuity of power without consent.” He stressed that term limits are not inconveniences but safeguards designed to prevent the abuse of power. “Term limits ensure that power remains a trust, not a possession,” he said.
Timba warned of dire national consequences if the constitutional order were to collapse. He said citizens, not politicians, pay the price when institutions lose credibility, with investor confidence eroding, jobs disappearing, and poverty worsening.
“Rule of law is not an abstract idea,” he argued. “It is the foundation of every school built, every hospital equipped, and every job created.”
The senator also highlighted recent corruption scandals involving billions of dollars allegedly diverted into private hands, saying this demonstrated that corruption in Zimbabwe had become a system rather than a crime.
“When three billion can vanish into private hands, while power is being extended instead of accountability enforced, it becomes clear that corruption is no longer a crime , it has become a system,” Timba said.
He called for a full forensic audit of all public contracts linked to those allegations before any discussion of term extensions. “Before anyone speaks of new political terms, let us first account for the billions already stolen from the people’s future,” he added.
Timba framed the current moment as a defining choice for Zimbabwe’s generation, between defending the Constitution or allowing it to be dismantled.
“Our generation must now choose: will we be remembered as the citizens who allowed the Constitution to be torn apart or as those who stood up peacefully, lawfully, but firmly to defend it?”
He pointed to examples from other African nations that have resisted term extensions or ensured peaceful transitions of power, including Senegal, Zambia, Malawi, Mauritius, and Botswana, saying Zimbabweans should take inspiration from their example.
“Across Africa, citizens are rediscovering their power,” Timba said. “Zimbabwe can do the same. We must move from fear to faith, faith in institutions, faith in citizens, and faith in the rule of law.”
In closing, Senator Timba underscored that the debate is not about personalities but principles.
“Power must never outlive its purpose,” he said. “Constitutions must never be written for convenience. Let us defend our Constitution not because it is perfect, but because it is ours. And because in defending it, we defend the idea of Zimbabwe itself.”
The Constitution of Zimbabwe, adopted in 2013 after a nationwide referendum, limits presidents to two five-year terms. Mr Mnangagwa’s second term is set to end in 2028. Any attempt to extend his tenure beyond that without a national referendum would require a constitutional amendment, raising serious questions about legality and democratic legitimacy. Timba’s remarks come at a time where there is a growing concern among civil society and opposition groups that constitutional safeguards are being eroded under the banner of extending Mnangagwa’s time in office beyond 2028.
