Zimbabwe: 'Third Term Referendums Will Gobble U.S.$40 Million'

MDC leader, Douglas Mwonzora, says if the country decides to press ahead with the third term extension agenda for President Emmerson Mnangagwa, an estimated US$40 million will be gobbled from the fiscus.

Sections of the ruling Zanu PF party are pushing for an extension of Mnangagwa's tenure beyond the constitutionally stipulated two five-year terms. Mnangagwa, who is currently serving his final term, insists he is a constitutionalist and will step aside in 2028.

At the height of the calls, another faction resisting the proposal fronted by war vet Blessed Geza is backing Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, the favourite to take over from Mnangagwa. Geza has since called for demonstrations and an indefinite stay-away, which was recently ignored by citizens hard-hit by poverty and cannot afford to stay at home in a highly informal Zimbabwe

Speaking to NewZimbabwe.com on the sidelines of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) organised Workers Day Commemorations Thursday, Mwonzora criticised forces angled towards extending Mnangagwa's term of office.

"We are totally opposed to the issue of the third term. We must stick to the Constitution, which says the President must serve for a maximum of 10 years. President Mnangagwa must be even more grateful for the fact that he has been in the Cabinet since 1980.

"Apart from that, on expiry of his current term, he would have served in office for a good 11 years, because he completed one year that was left by the former late president.

"In the event that he faces no resistance to amending the constitution for a third term. It means we have to conduct two referendums, and a referendum is an election that will cost US$ 20 million each. There is no need for that," he said.

Asked whether he was considering backing Geza's demonstrations to align with the anti-third term agenda, Mwonzora rubbished the war vet's efforts, saying supporting such an initiative will only perpetuate Zanu-PF's hold on power.

He said MDC's agenda has nothing to do with changing the leader of ZANU-PF midway.

Added Mwonzora, "That is not for us to say, because we are wiser (3:29) to know that if we are to change the president of ZANU-PF today, he will be replaced by a (3:36) president of ZANU-PF. So there will not be any change of government, which is what we (3:41) want as the opposition.

"We want a change of government. So the internal views within ZANU-PF are not for us. But where we agree with him and other people is that there should not be a third term. But on the issue of whether they want to change their president, it's up to them as ZANU-PF."

Read the original article on New Zimbabwe.