Constitution Must Serve the People’: Chinamasa Backs Term Extension Plan

By Kudzaishe Chimonera

Zanu PF treasurer general Patrick Chinamasa has defended the proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 saying the changes are legal and intended to support long-term national development.

Speaking in an interview with a local radio, Chinamasa said the amendment would not create a third presidential term for President Emmerson Mnangagwa but would instead extend the current term by two years.

“We are not talking of a third term. We are talking of, essentially a minimum of two years, which is below a term as defined in subsection 91,” he said.

Chinamasa said comments he made in 2024 about extending the President’s tenure referred to a different proposal that would have required a referendum.

“My premise required a referendum because I envisaged an extension of five years,” he said.

According to Chinamasa, the current proposal drafted by Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi and the Attorney General’s Office follows what he described as a constitutionally permissible route that would not require a referendum.

“They chose a less expensive and a legally constitutionally permissible route,” he said.

He rejected criticism that the amendment would deny citizens the right to vote saying Zimbabweans would still elect Members of Parliament through the country’s electoral system.

“It’s not correct that we are denying the people their right to vote. The people continue to vote one man, one vote to choose their representatives who will go into Parliament,” Chinamasa said.

Describing the constitution as a “living document”, Chinamasa argued that laws should evolve to meet the country’s changing needs.

“It does not save its own interests. It serves the interests of its people,” he said.

He also defended proposals to extend presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years saying longer terms would allow governments to focus on development rather than frequent election campaigns.

“Development is about continuity. If you have two years, three years, it’s not enough to do long-term development,” he said.

Chinamasa added that elections were costly, saying the 2023 harmonised elections cost the government nearly US$200m.

He argued that extending the electoral cycle could reduce recurring political disputes and allow greater focus on economic and social development.