War Vets Challenge Mnangagwa’s Authority to Preside Over Constitutional Amendment Process

 

A group of war veterans has approached the Constitutional Court of Zimbabwe, challenging President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s constitutional authority to preside over Cabinet processes linked to Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3.

The war veterans are seeking a declaratory order that:

“In presiding over and/or chairing Cabinet deliberations and processes pertaining to Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3, and in being party to its approval by Cabinet, the 1st Respondent failed to fulfil his constitutional obligations.”

Represented by constitutional law expert Lovemore Madhuku, the applicants argue that the President breached his constitutional obligations by chairing Cabinet deliberations and approving a Bill that could potentially affect his own tenure.

Filed under Section 167(2)(d) of the Constitution and Rule 32(1) of the Constitutional Court Rules, 2025, the urgent application contends that Mnangagwa violated Sections 90(1), 90(2)(b) and 196(2) of the Constitution, which require him to uphold, defend and respect the supreme law.

The application further asks the court to affirm that any constitutional amendment or transitional mechanism that extends the tenure of a sitting President cannot benefit that incumbent, citing Section 328(7) of the Constitution.

That provision bars term-limit extensions from applying to a person already holding office at the time of the amendment.