A group of Zimbabwean liberation war veterans has publicly denounced President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his ruling Zanu PF party over plans to amend the constitution to extend his tenure in office. The veterans accuse Zanu PF of betraying the country’s democratic principles and prioritizing the interests of a corrupt elite.

The opposition to the amendment is being led by the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) under the leadership of Andreas Ethan Mathibela. Speaking at a public forum at the Bulawayo Media Centre, ZNLWVA Organising Secretary Robert Ncube declared the group’s firm stance against the proposed changes, calling them an assault on Zimbabwe’s supreme law.

“As war veterans, we are saying no. We don’t support changing the constitution. This is a betrayal of the people,” Ncube said. He emphasized that the constitution should serve the nation as a whole and not the interests of a select few within Zanu PF’s leadership.

The proposed constitutional amendment, reportedly backed by the Zanu PF majority in parliament, seeks to allow Mnangagwa to extend his presidency beyond the current two-term limit. Critics argue that the move undermines Zimbabwe’s democratic framework and mirrors tactics used by authoritarian leaders across the continent to cling to power.