PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa met over 120 affiliate groups loyal to him at his Precabe Farm over the weekend as the push for the extension his term beyond 2028 intensifies.
Sources said Mnangagwa turned to parallel structures because of growing opposition within the party and military command to the push to extend his term via the back door.
The gathering at his farm included representatives from youth, women and religious groups, all of whom pledged to champion constitutional amendments to pave way for Mnangagwa’s prolonged stay in power.
The affiliates are parallel structures that were created within Zanu PF to drum up support for Mnangagwa’s 2023 presidential campaign.
These include Varakashi for ED, Young Women for ED, Men BelievED, Mahwindi for ED, Pastors for ED, Teachers for ED, Councillors for ED, Mapositori for ED and Bornfrees for ED, among many others.
Observers said Mnangagwa’s allies had allegedly resorted to using parallel structures to organise his 2030 campaign because of growing mistrust within Zanu PF structures with a faction loyal to Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga opposing to the manoeuvre.
Vapostori and MaZion for ED spokesperson, Obey Mapuranga, told NewsDay that more than 120 affiliates, who gathered at Precabe Farm, pledged to support the plot for Mnangagwa to extend his term.
“We are guided by religious principles and doctrines. If we are given a President by God, we don’t decide the timeframe of his presidency. We wait for God to speak for himself,” he said.
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He added: “Our national executive council and apex advisory board made a resolution and agreed that every Mupostori and MuZion should pray for President Mnangagwa to continue being our leader until his Vision 2030 has been realised beyond the year 2030.”
Mapuranga, who represented the affiliates, during the meeting said his sect had enough numbers to influence the referendum on constitutional amendments.
“We know President Mnangagwa is a constitutionalist and he is a democratic patriot, this is why we are praying for Zanu PF and Parliament to do every legal adjustment for our resolutions and those of the party to be fulfilled,” he said.
“...we have the numbers to sail through any legal actions of parliamentary induced referendums.”
Despite Mnangagwa publicly denying any intent to extend his rule, internal discussions within the ruling Zanu PF party suggest that efforts are underway to explore constitutional amendments that will allow the President to remain in office longer.
Zanu PF adopted a resolution to extend Mnangagwa’s term during the ruling party’s conference in Bulawayo in October.
Addressing a Zanu PF meeting in Chiredzi on Sunday, Zanu-PF Masvingo provincial chairperson Robson Mavhenyengwa said the resolution had to sail through by all means necessary.
