Ramaphosa Urged Mnangagwa to Halt Constitutional Bill, Report Says

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s low-key weekend trip to Zimbabwe carried a sharp warning for Emmerson Mnangagwa, according to former ally Rutendo Matinyarare: drop any plan to dismiss Vice President Constantino Chiwenga and rethink Constitutional Amendment Bill No.3, the measure seen as paving the way for Mnangagwa to stay beyond his two-term limit.

Ramaphosa visited Mnangagwa at Precabe Farm in Kwekwe, where he was photographed alongside a tight circle of the Zimbabwean leader’s allies who back the proposed amendment. While officials in Harare cast the stopover as a private visit, Pretoria labeled it a “working visit,” saying the two leaders discussed matters of mutual and bilateral concern.

Matinyarare argued Ramaphosa would be unlikely to seek a casual weekend in Harare amid domestic pressure over migration linked to Zimbabwe’s governance failures. He cautioned that either pushing the amendment or ousting Chiwenga risked sparking instability with knock-on effects across the region. His assertions have not been independently verified.