Mnangagwa Defies Zimbabwe Army Chiefs Over Potential Third Term Bid

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has brushed aside mounting resistance from a bloc of retired military generals and former senior civil servants to Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3, declaring “whoever wins, wins” as the fight over the proposed changes intensifies.

Mnangagwa is pressing ahead with amendments that would keep him in power beyond the constitutionally stipulated two terms, setting up a sharp confrontation with the group, which has come out strongly against the bill. Represented by retired Air Marshal Henry Muchena, the former officials said their engagements with the President did not move him from his position. Muchena accused Mnangagwa of steering a constitutional reform drive designed to extend his influence beyond Zimbabwe’s two-term presidential limit.

Opponents of the bill say it risks weakening citizens’ direct role in choosing the president and could reshape the responsibilities of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission. Despite the objections, the government has continued to push the bill through Parliament, where it is expected to be fast-tracked for debate, as anxiety grows about what the changes could mean for democratic practice and the conduct of elections.