Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. This statement, by John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton, or just Lord Acton, in 1887, illustrates the dangers of concentrated power or authority.
His point in that statement was that the same moral standards should be applied to all men, political and religious leaders alike.
Having said that, why is the push to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term by two years to 2030 refusing to die, despite the man himself publicly disowning the campaign?
Mnangagwa has made repeated assertions that “he is a constitutionalist” committed to stepping down when his term expires in 2028.
He has even taken legal action to force the media to abide by his public utterances that he intends to step down at the end of his term in 2028. And yet the debate remains alive.
At the ruling Zanu PF party’s annual conference in Bulawayo in October, former Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa — the party secretary for legal affairs said Mnangagwa had told him that he was not interested in extending his tenure beyond 2028, even after asking him three times in August, September and October.
Yet the debate, if anything, has increased in intensity. And the tone of the debate has taken sinister, tribal and regional tones.
Our sister newspaper, The Standard yesterday reported on a top Zanu PF official who was recorded boasting that the ruling party structures are pushing for Mnangagwa to extend his stay in power beyond 2030 to prevent anyone from outside Masvingo from succeeding the 82-year-old ruler.
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This indicates a push to keep Mnangagwa in power well past his 86th birthday and maybe well into his 90s.
According to the report, Simon Muchafa, a member of the Zanu PF provincial executive, wants to keep Mnangagwa in office because the late former president Robert Mugabe ruled Zimbabwe for “too long”.
Also, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, who is tipped to be Zanu PF’s next leader, is a Zezuru, the same tribe as Mugabe,thus cannot be allowed to assume the top office.
Muchafa and his ilk, it appears, are enjoying the perks that come with belonging to the same tribe as the President and are not willing to let go.
Zimbabwe, it seems, is in the grip of power-hungry tribalists who are apparently willing to debase the country’s Constitution in pursuit of their dark goal.
And Mnangagwa himself is at the centre of the vortex, it appears, using his paise singers to amplify the message and invoking God. We get evidence of this in Local Government minister Daniel Garwe’s remarks to Mashonaland East provincial party leaders.
Garwe, the provincial chairperson, wants the officials to raise the tempo in campaigning for the 2030 agenda.
“Let us cascade down the message as we conduct the inter-district meetings of the resolution. Let’s not give a distorted resolution as they came out. All resolutions were adopted.
“There are some talks about Chinamasa’s opinion that the President said when his term of office expires, he would step down.
“Yes, he said so but we have a Constitution on one hand the vision on the other. The Constitution is about compliance and was drafted by the people, the same people who are saying we want the leader to remain in office.”
Garwe claimed that the vision from God was that Mnangagwa should continue in office to build the country and that there were other people tasked with dealing with the compliance with the Constitution.
Recently, one of the Constitution’s authors, Douglas Mwonzora said the Constitution was designed in such a way that it was almost impossible to extend the presidential term limit.
When it comes to corruption of power, it appears nothing is impossible.
