Zimbabwe News Update
nehandaradio
2 min read
when nelson chamisa says “there is no constitution to defend,” he is not merely offering rhetorical flourish, he is pointing to a hard truth about zimbabwe’s constitutional and political trajectory. because in november 2017, when robert mugabe was forced from office in a military-backed transition, we did not just change the man in the presidential palace. we enacted a constitutional ambush, one whose consequences continue to ripple through our politics, economy and society. the military’s intervention and mugabe’s subsequent resignation marked the end of nearly four decades of one-man rule. but while many zimbabweans breathed a sigh of relief, credible human rights monitors warned that the takeover lacked constitutional legitimacy. the army remained in the streets.
the judiciary ruled that the takeover was “lawful”, effectively sanctioning military involvement in politics. then came the amendments to the 2013 constitution. for example, constitutional amendment no. 1 of 2017 removed public interviews for appointment of the chief justice and placed that power directly into the presidency. these changes eroded judicial independence, undermined the separation of powers, and signalled that the constitution was becoming a menu of amendments rather than a set of inviolable rules. by applauding the end of mugabe’s rule without insisting on a constitutionally sound process, zimbabweans inadvertently endorsed the idea that “changing the man” is more important than safeguarding the system.
if law can be bypassed for a cause we agree with, we should not be surprised when it is bypassed for one we do not agree with. chamisa can still stage a second coming, but only if he…nov 5, 202525,121 chamisa can still stage a second coming, but only if he… back to the future: why defending zimbabwe’s constitution is…nov 5, 202528,666 back to the future: why defending zimbabwe’s constitution is…
