South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has been petitioned to nudge President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration to halt the controversial Constitutional Amendment Number 3, which seeks to extend the presidential term by two years.
Ramaphosa is the current interim chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (Sadc).
In a petition dated March 4, the former MP and now E-Movement leader Anadi Arnold Njanjile Sululu appealed to the African National Congress leader to intervene.
“I write to you not only as a concerned neighbour but as the leader of the E-Movement, a coalition of Zimbabwean citizens dedicated to national renewal,” Sululu wrote.
“We recall with gratitude your prompt intervention nearly six years ago when you dispatched a sound delegation to Zimbabwe; however, I must report with a heavy heart that the ‘New Era’ we once hoped for has devolved into a period of renewed crisis.”
Sululu expressed alarm over what he termed a coordinated effort to amend the constitution to extend presidential term limits.
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“This ‘2030 agenda’ threatens to dismantle our democratic foundations and risks turning the country into a zone of conflict,” he wrote.
He highlighted a resurgence of abductions, torture, and unlawful arrests, citing the recent assault on NCA leader Lovemore Madhuku and his members at their headquarters, which allegedly occurred in
He urged Ramaphosa to engage directly with Mnangagwa to halt the constitutional amendments, end political violence, and facilitate electoral reforms.
The former MDC legislator for Silobela warned that extending presidential term limits carries serious consequences for South Africa.
He cautioned that attempts to entrench power may trigger widespread conflict in Zimbabwe, with instability spilling across the border, potentially driving a surge of refugees and straining South Africa’s social systems.
“South Africa continues to shoulder the socio-economic burden of Zimbabwe’s instability, hosting thousands who have fled persecution and economic collapse,” Sululu wrote.
“A stable Zimbabwe is not only essential for its own citizens but is also a prerequisite for a stable and prosperous South Africa.”
He said urgent action is required to prevent the “2030 Agenda” from further destabilising the Sadc region.
Sululu has also petitioned the United Nations, the Pan African Parliament, the African Union, and the Roman Catholic Church pope to intervene in the constitutional crisis.