Political analysts have warned MDC-T president Douglas Mwonzora that his party’s support for controversial amendments to the constitution is a mistake that could destroy his political career because the changes to the supreme law are not popular among the electorate.
The MDC-T voted with ZANU PF in the Senate to pass Constitution Amendment Number 1 in March, which, once signed into law by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, will give the President unfettered powers in the appointment of senior judges.
Eldred Masunungure, a University of Zimbabwe political science lecturer, opined that Mwonzora took a huge gamble in supporting ZANU PF’s mutilation of the constitution that he helped to craft. He said:
It’s very odd and sad for a party that claims to be the main opposition party in Zimbabwe to be supporting an obviously odious amendment to the supreme law of the country particularly because the MDC-T leader was one of the architects of that constitution during the constitution-making process.
The constitution received overwhelming approval during the referendum and this may be politically expedient in terms of crafting engagement with the ruling party for whatever benefit we don’t know, but it is a perilous move from the perspective of the popular will and the electorate.
It is taking a huge gamble, which is not likely to pay off positively during the forthcoming by-elections and 2023 elections.
… The whole thing affects the supremacy of our supreme law, which is our social contract that (Mwonzora) was a leader in crafting.
It is a negative development and I think it will boomerang very badly on him in terms of electoral processes and outcomes.
Harare-based political analyst Alexander Rusero said Mwonzora had been exposed as a ZANU PF project through his push for the constitutional amendments.
South Africa-based political commentator Kefas Mtimande said Mwonzora’s behaviour was that of a politician, who had made his mind to work with ZANU PF. Mtimande told The Standard:
I think for him the die is cast and he knows he has no place in the opposition anymore and it is all over for him, hence he is seeking political asylum in ZANU PF.
He now cares less about what people will say and is just making it clearer through his rational disputation narrative, but otherwise, he is no longer an opposition to ZANU PF, but an ally.
Mwonzora has tried to justify his support for the amendments by saying they were protecting the quota for female legislators, but women’s groups have rejected the provisions for affirmative action as useless.