I will not extend my tenure: President

Wallace Ruzvidzo in Mutare

President Mnangagwa has reiterated his position that he does not have any intentions of running for a third term stressing that both the national and Zanu-PF constitutions provide for two-term limits, something he would adhere to.

To avoid any misconceptions, the President said he was actually inching closer to taking a deserved rest after the conclusion of his current and last term.

He said this yesterday while addressing multitudes of people who were in attendance at the commissioning of the Mutare Teachers College’s fruit juice and water processing plant.

This was now the third time he had allayed continued speculation that the Constitution would be amended to allow him to run for a third term in office, with the first and second being in interviews with ZTN Prime on the eve of last year’s general elections and in an interview with Brick-by-Brick magazine earlier this year.

“I served my first term and it ended then we went to congress and you chose me to be your President for another term so I am now in my last five-year term.

“Thereafter I will retire and rest, then we will go to congress where you will elect another President to lead the party following in my footsteps, the Munhumutapa steps,” he said.

President Mnangagwa said he held both the party and national constitutions in the highest regard emphasising that “tomorrow is our future which we must construct today”.

“Our party constitution stipulates that after every five years we go to a congress and when the party goes to congress, a President will be elected. According to our party Constitution a President should only serve two terms of five years each,” he said.

Zimbabweans, said President Mnangagwa, were a peace-loving and united people hence it was imperative that they upheld the country’s democracy.

“Each day that passes means new things will come, including new leadership, but what is important in Zanu-PF is unity and adherence to the dictates of our constitution.

“Zimbabwe is a peaceful country, why is it peaceful? Because the people of Zimbabwe are united. In Zanu-PF we preach peace, harmony, we persuade our people and teach them to love each other and help each other,” he said.

The President charged the nation to spread love among each other as it was a vital component for national development, ” . . . in our country to cooperate among ourselves and not to discriminate among ourselves, we should all love each other as Zimbabweans.

“If we do that, our country will continue to develop and this is a lesson I want the younger generation to grasp so that tomorrow you will know that this is something our leader used to teach us,” he said.