Zimbabwe is once again at a dangerous moment. The ruling party wants to extend the presidential term, not because people asked for it, but because power fears accountability. Nelson Chamisa has spoken clearly. He says Zimbabweans do not support any extension. He says this move is not reform but an attempt to extend theft of the people’s mandate. He is right. When leaders fail, they try to change rules instead of changing behavior.
Chamisa says the government must stop chasing term extensions and face the real problem, a deep governance crisis. Our elections are disputed, our institutions are weak, and our voices are ignored. What Zimbabwe needs is a fresh, free, and undisputed election, not another elite deal to protect power. He also says the constitution has been shredded by repeated violations. Many citizens feel this pain daily.
But some voices warn us not to fall into a trap. Jacob Ngarivhume argues that saying the constitution is now a nullity is reckless. A constitution does not disappear because it is violated. If that were true, then law would die every time criminals break it. Declaring the constitution dead only rewards those who abuse it. It tells them that if they break the law often enough, the law will give up. That thinking leads to permanent chaos.
Ngarivhume warns that abandoning the constitution is surrender, not resistance. It means accepting that power can rule without limits. That is exactly what ZANU PF wants. Lawlessness dressed up as realism is still lawlessness. The answer to abuse is not silence, but defense.
Douglas Mwonzora’s party, the DCP, has taken a clear position. They say they will defend the constitution lawfully, peacefully, and with resolve. In the streets, in the courts, and in Parliament. This matters. The constitution is not just paper. It is a shield. Defending it means defending our future and the rights of generations not yet born.
Blessed Timba explains this clearly. The 2013 constitution is the supreme law because it was adopted by the people through a referendum. Its violations expose those in power. They do not cancel the document itself. Even more important, the constitution already contains the reforms Zimbabweans have demanded for decades. It limits executive power. It calls for fair elections, independent institutions, devolution, judicial independence, civil liberties, and accountability.
To abandon this constitution because it is under attack is to give up the struggle at the worst possible time. Some say we must defend the country, not the constitution. This idea is deeply flawed. A country is not just land or flags. A country is a constitutional order. Without agreed rules and limits, what remains is rule by force.
Defending Zimbabwe means defending its constitution. The army defends borders. Citizens defend constitutional order. To defend soil while surrendering sovereignty is empty symbolism. Those who argue otherwise promote constitutional nihilism, whether they know it or not.
Rejoice Ngwenya Gwisayi warns that ED2030 is not a small issue. It is a direct attack on the foundation of popular sovereignty. It seeks to destroy the very heart of the 2013 constitution. Analyst Dr Phillan Zamchiya agrees. He says defending the country and defending the constitution are the same fight. Anything else is a distraction. Zimbabwe’s future depends on our courage to defend both.
This is the moment for citizens to choose principle over fear. Silence will not save us. Compromise with injustice only deepens suffering. The constitution is the last line between order and tyranny. If we abandon it, we abandon ourselves. History will judge what we do now. The struggle is peaceful, lawful, and necessary. Zimbabweans must stand firm, speak loudly, and defend their future with courage, unity, and hope for real freedom and dignity.
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