Blessing Geza, a war veteran and member of the ZANU PF Central Committee, has strongly condemned party members advocating for an extension of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s tenure beyond the constitutionally mandated two terms, calling such actions treasonous.
He argued that those pushing for this move should be expelled from the party.
In an exclusive interview with HStv, an online television and radio channel operated by Alpha Media Holdings, Geza criticized the ZANU PF resolution, passed during the party’s 21st National People’s Conference in Bulawayo, which proposed extending Mnangagwa’s presidency until 2030.
Geza described the resolution as ill-advised and contrary to the principles of Zimbabwe’s Constitution. Said Geza:
I was at the conference and I thought I was saddened… First and foremost, we have a Constitution which must be respected by everybody.
The President himself took an oath of office to respect the Constitution of Zimbabwe. They took the oath of office so they could protect and defend the Constitution of Zimbabwe but they are not doing that.
They are committing treason. Those people must be arrested and those people must be fired from ZANU PF. We want to see those people charged.
The former Sanyati legislator claimed that ZANU PF has been hijacked by opportunists, with war veterans increasingly sidelined within the party.
He lamented that the people who fought for Zimbabwe’s independence have been marginalised, while those seeking to exploit the party for personal gain have taken control. He said:
I mean because the party has been hijacked even if you go to structures, all those (army) generals were “fired” from the party.
ZANU PF is a product of ZANLA and ZIPRA, the people’s movement but they are not even being recognised, you know, right? They are attacking the Constitution.
They don’t even talk about the armed struggle. They don’t talk about the opposition. Mark my words, that will never happen, not under our watch.
ZANLA or the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army was the military wing of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) during the liberation struggle.
ZIPRA or the Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army, was the military wing of the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU), which played a significant role in the war of independence.
Geza also accused President Mnangagwa of failing to unify ZANU PF following the 2017 coup that brought him to power.
He argued that instead of fostering reconciliation and cohesion within the party, Mnangagwa’s leadership has deepened divisions, leaving the party fragmented and plagued by internal strife. He said:
The president was supposed to take the opportunity to unite the nation so that it could move forward. He failed but people, you see, know when the president came back from South Africa, is this happening?
But these people [ED2030 brigade] are a security threat and on this issue, the JOC [Joint Operation Command] must take action, and the service chiefs must take action.
Are our laws not sufficient enough to deal with such things?
These 2030s are doing what they want right? They are doing what they want to the President, you know. It’s unfortunate.
The role which we played, we are being sidelined, we have been sidelined but I blame ourselves because they say they are in control.
Geza asserted that there is no possibility of President Mnangagwa extending his tenure beyond 2028, citing clear constitutional provisions that prevent such an outcome. He said:
Mnangagwa was elected in 2018 and his two terms end in 2028 and he cannot go beyond that unless the Constitution is changed.
And even if the Constitution is changed, it also puts a safety net in it, which says that the incumbent or the person who presides over that constitutional change must not benefit from it.
Meanwhile, President Mnangagwa has reiterated that he will step down in 2028 when his second and final term in office concludes.
However, he has not instructed his supporters to cease advocating for an extension of his tenure, leaving critics questioning his sincerity.
More: Pindula News