By A Correspondent
In a strong and impassioned statement on Thursday, Zimbabwean opposition leader Advocate Nelson Chamisa condemned the Zanu PF government’s attempt to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s presidency beyond its constitutional limit. Currently, Mnangagwa’s second term is set to end in 2028, but hardliners within the ruling party are pushing for the postponement of elections until 2030.
Chamisa, leader of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), wasted no time in denouncing the move, accusing Mnangagwa’s administration of exacerbating the suffering of the Zimbabwean people. He boldly declared:
“STOP THIS NONSENSE!!”
“You want to extend pain and suffering. You want to extend extreme and deadening poverty. You want to extend unemployment. You want to extend hunger and lack.”
Chamisa went on to list a litany of hardships Zimbabweans have endured under the current regime, highlighting the government’s failure to address basic needs such as power, water, and healthcare. He added:
“You want power outages, electricity shortages and water shortages. You want to extend this currency crisis and cash shortages. You want to extend high taxes and skyrocketing prices. You want to extend oppression. You want to extend fear, hate and intimidation. You want to extend terror and violence.”
The opposition leader didn’t hold back in criticizing the state of social and economic affairs under Mnangagwa’s rule, accusing the government of pushing the nation further into turmoil:
“You want to extend conflict. You want to extend the nation’s isolation. You want to extend looting and corruption. You want to extend bribery and chicanery. You want to extend the dying hospitals and the dying in hospitals.”
Chamisa also turned his attention to the crumbling education and public services sectors, painting a grim picture of life for teachers, workers, and pensioners under the current administration:
“You want to extend the chaos in education. You want to extend the suffering of teachers under squalid conditions. You want to extend the suffering of workers and civil servants. You want to extend the suffering of pensioners.”
The CCC leader highlighted the country’s worsening economic climate, with businesses closing down and a growing brain drain, adding:
“You want to extend the closing down of businesses. You want to extend the capital flight and brain drain. You can’t!”
Chamisa ended his tirade by accusing the ruling party of “stealing” the people’s votes and mandate, warning them that they could not extend this theft by prolonging Mnangagwa’s presidency:
“You stole the people’s mandate, hopes and votes. And you want to extend that theft. You can’t extend theft. It can’t. Stop it!!”