War vets back Constitutional Amendment No.3 Bill

Joseph Madzimure

Zimpapers Politics Hub

THE Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association has thrown its weight behind the proposed Constitutional Amendment No. 3 Bill, which seeks to align election cycles with the country’s developmental goals and trajectory.

The Bill proposes extending the presidential term from five to seven years to ensure continuity in policy formulation and national development.

Speaking at the Zimbabwe Liberation War Veterans Association’s National Assembly meeting yesterday in Harare, ZNLWVA Secretary General Cde Sam Parirenyatwa said the association, as an affiliate of Zanu PF, is solidly behind the Bill.

“As a Zanu PF affiliate organisation, we endorsed President Mnangagwa to remain in office beyond 2028 at the 21st Zanu PF Annual People’s Conference in Bulawayo as part of our resolution. What is happening now is that the Government and Parliament are implementing some of the resolutions endorsed at the party conference. So there is nothing new with the Bill; they are fulfilling the wishes of the majority,” said Cde Parirenyatwa.

Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Harare, Charles Tawengwa, who was the guest of honour at the meeting, said the war veterans’ constituency played a pivotal role in shaping the nation.

“We are here to listen to their perspectives on issues related to their welfare, such as school fee payments for their children and access to land for housing. As a Government, it is our responsibility to support the veterans of the liberation struggle,” stated Minister Tawengwa.

He expressed that Constitutional Amendment No. 3 Bill will lead to more comprehensive policies that address the needs of the people. This will also ensure the completion of major infrastructure projects such as road rehabilitation, dam construction, and power generation initiatives under programmes like the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme and the Second Republic’s flagship developments.

Zanu PF resolutions were formally submitted to the Government, which has since taken them to Parliament for consideration, reflecting the party’s commitment to constitutionalism and the rule of law.

Zanu PF affiliate organisation Boys Dzemudara national chairman Cde Hopewell Chapo confirmed that they want President Mnangagwa to remain in office to achieve Vision 2030.

“We urged the youth to rally behind the Bill to ensure its success, enabling them to benefit from various empowerment programmes. We expect more funding to be channelled towards the upliftment of the youth through initiatives such as the revolving fund for income-generating projects,” said Cde Chapo. He appealed to the Government to continue funding youth programmes so that young people become masters of their destiny.

“If elections are held in 2028 as initially planned, politicking would commence this year. This would result in two years of minimal focus on development, followed by a new government needing time to acclimatise. Such a scenario wastes precious time for development,” he said.