Tag Archives: Emmerson Mnangagwa

Politics

Zimbabwe’s constitutional upheaval as ZANU-PF pushes for scraping presidential elections

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HARARE-(MaraviPost)-Zimbabwe’s ruling party, ZANU-PF, is pushing forward with a constitutional amendment bill that would scrap direct presidential elections, sparking heated debate across the nation.

The Constitution Amendment Bill No. 3 (2026) proposes that a joint sitting of Parliament, rather than the people, elects the head of state, marking a significant shift from the system in place since 1990.

The bill also seeks to extend presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years, potentially keeping President Emmerson Mnangagwa in power until 2030, critics argue this is a power grab and a rollback of democratic gains.

Public hearings on the bill have been marked by chaos and intimidation, with critics saying it’s an attempt to silence dissenting voices and consolidate power.

Supporters of the bill argue it will bring stability and reduce election-related toxicity, but opponents claim it’s a move towards an “imperial presidency” and undermines the people’s right to choose their leader.

The bill is still under discussion and has not yet become law, but its passage is likely given ZANU-PF’s parliamentary majority.

The proposed changes have sparked concerns about the erosion of democratic principles and the potential for further repression in Zimbabwe.

Critics, including opposition parties and civil society groups, are calling for a referendum on the changes, arguing that they require the people’s approval.

The international community is watching closely, with some expressing concerns about the implications for Zimbabwe’s democracy and stability.

Politics

Tempers fizzle as Zimbabwe leader Mnangagwa’s term extension plan sparks outrage

MaraviPost

HARARE-(MaraviPost)-The sun beats down on the streets of Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe’s third-largest urban centre, but it’s the heated debate inside the town’s main aquatic complex that’s really sizzling.

A crowd has gathered, with emotions running high as they discuss a proposed amendment to the country’s constitution.

At the entrance, a woman in a cream floral dress is leading the charge, heckling speakers who support the plan to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term to 2030.

The amendment, if approved, would change presidential and legislative terms from five to seven years and give parliament the power to elect the president.

The proposal has sparked widespread criticism, with opposition figures accusing the government of trying to cling to power.

Currently, the president is chosen through a popular vote in direct elections and can only serve two terms.

But with Mnangagwa in his second term and his ZANU-PF party dominating parliament, critics fear the amendments could make it harder for anyone outside the party to become president.

The bill is part of the government’s “Vision 2030” development agenda, aiming to transform Zimbabwe into an upper-middle-income economy.

However, critics argue that the changes will only serve to consolidate power and undermine democracy.

Zimbabwe’s cabinet approved the draft legislation in February, and it’s now headed to parliament for debate.

But with the opposition boycotting the public hearings, citing violence and intimidation, the future of the bill remains uncertain.

SADC

Video: Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa receives applause as he responds to US TV host Tucker Carlson

MaraviPost

MetroTV, Emmerson Mnangagwa sparred with US journalist Tucker Carlson during a discussion on land reform, sanctions, and sovereignty at the World Governments Summit 2026 in Dubai. The Zimbabwean leader defended the country’s land policies, blaming decades of Western sanctions for economic challenges and rejecting claims that land seizures were racially motivated. Mandatory credit: World Governments Summit VIA VIORY

Mnangagwa Pushes Back at Tucker Carlson on Zimbabwe History

Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa attended the World Governments Summit in Dubai in early February 2026, where he participated in a panel discussion titled “Is the Next Decade African”. He defended Zimbabwe’s land reforms, asserted the nation’s independence from Western influence, and engaged in discussions on economic, development, and diplomatic issues. 

Key details of Mnangagwa’s participation include:

  • Defense of Land Policy: Mnangagwa told a panel with Tucker Carlson that land seizures were necessary to reclaim colonial-era land, stating, “The land never belonged to a race, it belonged to Zimbabweans”.
  • International Relations: He emphasized that Zimbabwe no longer needs to “please the West” and is focused on independent development despite international sanctions.
  • Global Engagement: The President engaged in high-level dialogues on “Africa in the Next Decade” and Agenda 2063, aiming to strengthen international ties and attract investment.
  • Arrival: He was welcomed in Dubai by UAE officials and Zimbabwean diplomats, marking a push for re-engagement. 

He was joined by leaders such as Sierra Leone’s Julius Maada Bio and Botswana’s Duma Boko at the summit. 

Lifestyle

Putin hosts talks with African leaders on security

Maravi Post Reporter

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday hosted bilateral talks with leaders of the Palestinian Authority, Zimbabwe and Burkina Faso. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa and President of Burkina Faso Ibrahim Traore arrived in Moscow to take part in celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.

Speaking at the meeting with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, Putin suggested to exchange opinions on what Russia could do additionally to help de-escalate tensions in the Middle East. It comes as leaders from four major European countries threatened to ratchet up pressure on Putin if he does not accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine that they offered earlier on Saturday in a strong show of unity with Kyiv.

The leaders of France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Poland said their proposal for a ceasefire to start on Monday was supported by U.S. President Donald Trump, whom they had briefed over the phone earlier in the day.

Source: Africanews

https://video.euronews.com/mp4/ED/14/59/08/06/ED_PYR_1459086_20250511062652.mp4
Politics, Regional

Nepotistic Zimbabwe President Mnangagwa includes son Kudakwashe into new cabinet

Lloyd M’bwana

HARARE-(MaraviPost)-Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been accused of nepotism after appointing his son as one of a new set of ministers following his controversial re-election last month.

Mnangagwa on Monday, September 11, 2023 named his son, David Kudakwashe, as deputy finance minister as part of the parliament’s youth quota.

He also appointed his nephew, Tongai Mnangagwa, the deputy tourism minister, local media reported.

Mthuli Ncube, an ex-banker, was retained as the finance minister while the ruling Zanu-PF party’s national chairperson Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri was re-appointed as the defence minister.

Outspoken main opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) lawmaker Fadzayi Mahere termed the new ministerial line-up as “indefensible”, and accused Mnangagwa of stoking nepotism.

Some social media users have been expressing disappointment with the appointment.

There has been no official reaction from the ruling party or the presidency over the accusation.

However supporters of Mnangagwa say his son is qualified for the position.

Mnangagwa’s re-election has been disputed by the opposition citing claims of fraud, while some observers said the poll failed to meet regional and international standards.

Source: BBC

Politics, Regional

‘The Crocodile’ Emmerson Mnangagwa secures Zimbabwe Presidency’ second term

Lloyd M’bwana

..Beat Chamisa by 52.6%

HARARE-(MaraviPost)-Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been elected to a second term with 52.6% of the vote, the electoral commission says.

However, the opposition claimed there had been widespread vote-rigging and international observers said the vote fell short of democratic standards.

Mr Mnangagwa is only Zimbabwe’s second president. A 2017 coup against veteran ruler Robert Mugabe put him in charge.

Zimbabweans still face high inflation, poverty and a climate of fear.

When he first became president, Mr Mnangagwa – known as “The Crocodile” for his ruthlessness – promised a new start for his country’s people.

But Zimbabwe had one of the highest inflation rates in the world last month – prices in July had rocketed by 101.3% since the previous year. Unemployment also remains rife, with only 25% of Zimbabweans holding formal jobs.

Mr Mnangagwa’s vow to guarantee human rights also appears hollow, with little changing in this regard since Mr Mugabe’s departure.

Critics say the 80-year-old silenced dissent and clamped down on the opposition in the run-up to the vote, which he had been widely-expected to win.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) said Mr Mnangagwa’s main challenger, Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC) candidate Nelson Chamisa, secured 44% of the vote.

Mr Mnangagwa received more than 2.3m votes, while Mr Chamisa took 1.9m, according to the ZEC. Voter turnout in the country of almost 16m was 69%, the electoral body said.

The opposition claims the vote was rigged, but the constitutional court has upheld the result.

A spokesperson for the CCC posted on X – formerly known as Twitter – that the party rejected “any result hastily assembled without proper verification”.

Promise Mkwananzi, a spokesperson for the party, told the AFP news agency that the CCC did not sign the “false” final tally and “cannot accept the results”.

He said the party would announce its next move soon.

According to BBC, observer missions from the EU, Commonwealth and 16-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) said they had a number of concerns with the vote, including the banning of opposition rallies, issues with the electoral register, biased state media coverage and voter intimidation.

“The elections were fraught with irregularities and aggrieved the people of Zimbabwe,” political analyst Rejoice Ngwenya told AFP.

The run-up to the election was largely free of violence, but CCC members were convicted on what they describe as fabricated charges aimed at weakening the party. The party says the police have banned several of its meetings since July, and nearly 100 gatherings since it was formed in January last year.

Earlier this month, 40 CCC members, including a parliamentary candidate, were arrested while campaigning in the capital Harare.

The recent killing of a CCC backer, allegedly by supporters of Mr Mnangagwa’s Zanu-PF party, further raised concerns about rights.

Critics continue to be arrested and taken to court for insulting the president – an offence punishable by one year in jail or a fine or both. A man in Harare was charged in April after allegedly being overheard by a police officer saying that Mr Mnangagwa would lose the next election.

“The Crocodile”, as he is known, has a fearsome reputation that was cemented after independence during the civil war that broke out in the 1980s between Mr Mugabe’s Zanu party and the Zapu party of Joshua Nkomo.

As national security minister, Mr Mnangagwa was in charge of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), which worked hand in glove with the army to suppress Zapu.

Thousands of civilians – mainly ethnic Ndebeles, seen as Zapu supporters – were killed in a campaign known as Gukurahundi, before the two parties merged to form Zanu-PF.

Mr Mnangagwa has denied any role in the massacres. As president he has tried to broach reconciliation. Some have felt his comments glib given the deep wounds in Matabeleland, but an initiative to allow exhumations and reburials has been agreed.

Voting in the presidential and parliamentary elections was meant to take place on Wednesday, but was extended into Thursday in some areas due to the late distribution of ballot papers.

Mr Mnangagwa’s election means Zanu-PF has ruled Zimbabwe for 43 years, since the country gained independence from British rule in 1980.

The party was also declared the winner in the parliamentary race, securing 136 of 210 seats, with the CCC taking 73. A further 60 seats are reserved for women and are appointed through proportional representation.

Source: BBC

Law and order, Politics, Regional

Mnangagwa fires Zimbabwe High court judge Thompson James Mabhikwa over nudity

Maravi Post Reporter

HARARE-(MaraviPost)-PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has fired High Court judge Thompson James Mabhikwa who was last year suspended after his girlfriend, Oratile Nare, who was then an assistant to a fellow Bulawayo judge, leaked his nudes and vulgar WhatsApp messages.

Nare, then assistant to Justice Maxwell Takuva, posted Mabhikwa’s nudes and dirty messages to all his contacts and judges’ group before they immediately went viral, forcing the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) to launch a probe before Mnangagwa appointed a tribunal chaired by retired judge Justice November Mtshiya which handed its report last week.

Zimbabwe High court judge Thompson James Mabhikwa fired

Now a magistrate in Nkayi, Matabeleland North province, Nare has since been suspended over a different matter.

In a letter dated 11 April 2022 addressed to Chief Justice Luke Malaba, Chief Secretary to the President and cabinet Misheck Sibanda advised that Mabhikwa’s removal from office of the High Court was with immediate effect.

“The Tribunal which was inquiring into the questions of removal from office of Honourable Justice Thompson James Mabhikwa in terms of 187 (3) of the Constitution has completed its work,” the letter to Malaba reads in part.

“The Tribunal has reported its findings to His Excellency, the President Cde ED Mnangagwa, and has recommended that Honourable Justice Thompson James Mabhikwa be removed from office of a Judge for acts of gross misconduct.”

“Accordingly, His Excellency the President, acting in terms of section 187 (8) of the Constitution, has removed the honourable Judge Justice Thompson James Mabhikwa from the office of with immediate effect,” Sibanda wrote.

Justice Mabhikwa, who was based at the Bulawayo High Court was accused of bedding a member of staff at the High Court, itself an act of misconduct.

It emerged that Justice Mabhikwa was having an intimate affair with Nare who, following a visit to his place, discovered raunchy messages with other women and nudes and, out of anger, posted them in all his contacts, including a work group.

In appointing the tribunal in June last year which was initially chaired by retired judge Justice Maphios Cheda, Mnangagwa said via a Statutory Instrument in the Government Gazette the panel should investigate whether Mabhikwa’s conduct could be deemed to have been tantamount to gross misconduct.

He also said the tribunal should investigate whether or not the judge committed acts of sexual harassment, possessed pornographic material and to investigate any other matter which the tribunal may deem appropriate and relevant to the question of removal from office of a judge in terms of the law.

Source: NewsHawks

Malawi, Politics

“I am better than Emmerson Mnangagwa”- dares Zimbabwe opposition leader Chimisa

Maravi Post Reporter

By Chisomo Phiri

HARARE-(MaraviPost)-CITIZENS Coalition for Change (CCC) President Nelson Chamisa said will defend the ideals and gains of the liberation struggle better than the current administration of President Mnangagwa.

Addressing thousands of supporters at Rujeko Grounds in Masvingo on Monday 21,2022 Chamisa, said the time has come for President Emmerson Mnangagwa to step down.

CITIZENS Coalition for Change (CCC) President Nelson Chamisa

“We want Mnangagwa to retire and watch how we run this country. If he goes, we don’t need five days to turn the fortunes of the country, we will stop corruption and theft of national resources,” Chamisa said.

“I can assure you that I can defend the ideals of the revolution better than Mnangagwa. Under my leadership, I will not allow an inch of Zimbabwe, its resources and sovereignty to go into the hands of any foreigner, ” added Chimisa.

Chamisa, who lost a Constitutional Court challenge after Mnangagwa won the controversial 2018 presidential election by a narrow margin, said he will not take the same route in the coming polls.

“This time I am not going to take any issue of electoral fraud to court. I tell you this time it is never going to happen, not this time around,” Chamisa said.

On land reform, he assured resettled farmers that he will not evict or displace them from their farms.

“If you are a farmer, don’t worry. We will not take your farm from you, there will be no reversal of the land reform programme. In fact, we will give you title deeds for your farms, unlike Zanu-PF which abuses the land question to make you support it,” Chamisa said.

The CCC leader hit back at claims that the opposition had failed to run local authorities.

“He (Mnangagwa) has destroyed the country, yet he expects local authorities to function. His stance is equal to asking a person milking a dead cow to have milk, if the national economy is dead, councils can’t perform,” Chamisa said.

He said Mnangagwa preaches about peace, despite attacks on his supporters and himself on several occasions.

“We can’t allow anyone to die for the attainment of political power. People must be allowed free political choice, if your choice is Zanu-PF which brings you hunger, then that is your choice, if you choose CCC for a better life, I will deliver the best for you,” he said.

Zimbabweans are going to the polls on Saturday March 26,2022 to elect 28 parliamentarians and 105 councilors.

Regional

Zimbabwe: Chaos at opposition party rally turns deadly

Maravi Post Reporter

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A chaotic scene at an opposition party rally in Kwekwe, central Zimbabwe, on Sunday turned deadly with reports of at least one death.

Local media also reported of some 10 others sustaining injuries in skirmishes at an rally ground.

The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) supporters were reportedly attacked by a group of men armed with spears, machetes, iron bars and stones.

Party leader Nelson Chamisa was forced to abandon his address at the rally, according to reports.

Chamisa’s party leadership blamed supporters of President Emmerson Mnangagwa for the violence but that has been rejected by the ruling party.

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There are crucial by-elections planned for March 26 but there are concerns of violence spreading ahead of these votes.

Some 28 parliamentary and 122 council seats are up for grabs and the by-elections are could test the ruling Zanu-PF party’s strength ahead of next year’s general elections.

On Saturday police used teargas and water cannons to disperse another CCC rally that had been permitted by the High Court.

Opposition parties have already been threatened of being crushed by the country’s vice-president.

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Kenya: President Kenyatta endorses Odinga to succeed him

Source: Africafeeds.com

Source: Africa Feeds