As he returned from brief exile in neighbouring South Africa nine years ago, President Emmerson Mnangagwa famously declared that “the voice of the people is the voice of God.”
Mnangagwa was basking in the glory of newly found power after the military had helped to topple his long-time mentor Robert Mugabe in a coup.
Mugabe had two weeks earlier removed his prodigy from the position of vice-president as succession wars in Zanu PF reached a boiling point.
Mnangagwa declared: “The people have spoken. The voice of the people is the voice of God. Today we are witnessing the beginning of a new and unfolding democracy.”
Critics believe the 83-year-old ruler has failed to deliver on his promises to steer Zimbabwe into a democratic dispensation after 37 years of authoritarian rule by Mugabe.
Zimbabwe is now virtually a one party state after the country’s main opposition party, the Citizens Coalition for Change, was hijacked by an alleged imposter and turned into an extension of the ruling party.
Under Mnangagwa civil society has been silenced through lawfare and at times brute force.
Only the church now stands as the voice of the voiceless and we were not surprised when the Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations (ZHOCD) on Friday rose to the occasion to defend the constitution.
In a strongly worded pastoral letter ZHOCD — the most prominent Christian umbrella body — said the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No.3) Bill, 2026 represented a dangerous threat to the country’s democratic foundations.
The church leaders said the proposed changes to the constitution would extend presidential and parliamentary terms without a fresh mandate from the people, bypass entrenched constitutional safeguards that require a referendum, remove direct presidential elections, restructure the senate, weaken electoral independence, increase executive control over the judiciary and prosecution, and dilute or abolish key independent commissions.
Mnangagwa himself last year on more than five occasions said he would resist pressure to have his term extended to 2030 because he is a constitutionalist.
However, he chaired the cabinet meeting that approved the proposed changes to the constitution that would effectively ban elections for two years.
The Zanu PF faction behind the agenda to extend Mnangagwa’s term has struggled to justify the cancellation of the 2028 elections and we are not convinced that they are acting in the national interest.
It is in that regard that we applaud the church leaders for using their powerful voice to warn the Zanu PF leaders against taking the country down a parlous road.