Senator Jameson Z Timba
Harare
“Back to the Drawing Board” Does Not Cure a Constitutional Violation
Reports that ZANU-PF has gone “back to the drawing board” on its 2030 agenda do not resolve the fundamental constitutional problem at the heart of this proposal.
The party acknowledges the delay in gazzeting the amendment whilst commiting to conclude the process within their prescribed one year calendar deadline .
The issue before the nation is not timing, sequencing, or strategy.
It is constitutional legitimacy.
Zimbabwe’s 2013 Constitution is explicit: presidential tenure is limited, and elections are due in 2028. Any attempt to extend that tenure through party resolutions, parliamentary manoeuvres, or procedural recalibration amounts to constitutional manipulation.
“Going back to the drawing board” while remaining committed to extending presidential tenure is not reform. It is a tactical adjustment designed to avoid the one test that truly matters — the will of the people.
If proponents of the 2030 agenda genuinely believe their project enjoys popular support, they should have no fear of full public debate and a referendum.
Avoiding the people’s verdict exposes a simple truth: this agenda is not driven by consent, but by fear of it.
A Constitution adopted by national referendum cannot be altered by internal party processes or elite negotiations.
Party resolutions do not outrank the sovereignty of citizens.
Zimbabwe’s stability will not be preserved by postponing democracy or recalibrating constitutional safeguards.
Stability flows from constitutional certainty, regular elections, and peaceful transitions of power.
The path forward is clear:
The Constitution must be respected, not re-engineered for political convenience.
Elections must be held as scheduled in 2028.
Any proposal affecting presidential tenure must be subjected to full public participation and, where required, a referendum.
The Constitution exists to protect citizens — not to serve the ambitions of a few.
DefendTheConstitution
NoTo2030
OurConstitutionOurFuture
