via Jonathan Moyo attacks term limits – Southern Eye 12 August 2015
HIGHER and Tertiary Education minister Jonathan Moyo yesterday rubbished term limits for African presidents, claiming this was an elitist demand.
Moyo said the two term limit was an “odium” for African nations. Term limits were the centrepiece of both the 2013 Constitution
and the rejected 1999 Constitutional Commission draft, which Moyo was part of.
“Calls for term limits in Africa are elitist constructions based on evil foreign agendas that seek to protect Africans from themselves,” he said on Twitter.
The former Information minister gave an example of Rwandan President Paul Kagame, who is angling for a third term in power,to claim Africans were being railroaded into a false controversy about themselves.
Moyo’s comments may unintentionally reignite debate on Zimbabwe’s presidential term limits, which Zanu PF was reportedly strongly opposed to during the constitution-making process ahead of the 2013 referendum.
President Robert Mugabe has been in power for 35 years and if he were to see out the rest of his two terms under the new Constitution as demanded by Zanu PF, he would have ruled Zimbabwe for 43 years.
Some staunch Zanu PF supporters have already called for Mugabe to be the party’s candidate in 2023 despite this being outlawed,raising the spectre of an amendment for the country’s supreme law.
Moyo said there was no evidence that African masses wanted term limits, oblivious to that a number of African countries, Zimbabwe included, had voted to have term limits in their constitutions.
He equated term limits to legislated oneparty States saying both were wrong.
A number of African leaders have recently sought to tweak their constitutions to allow them to run for third terms.
Burundi’s Pierre Nkurunzinza recently contested and won a third term, but the run-up to the polls was punctuated by bloodshed and displacement of people opposed to his term. Kagame, already 12 years in power,is said to be angling for a third term that will see him rule Rwanda for 21 years.
Congo’s Denis Nguesso-Sassou is also said to be coveting another term despite ruling from 1979 to 1992 and 1997 to now. He has reportedly fired ministers opposed to his latest dash for power.
Moyo rose to prominence as a rabid critic of Mugabe’s refusal to hand over power to a younger generation.
COMMENTS
I really wish if I could ever get to understand this Prof. Moyo. His tasteless school of thought belongs to none that I have had the misfortune of acquaintance. Honestly, this level of cheap political chichenry fools no one, let alone attempting to lecture or speak on behave of Africans. Some of us were not born yesterday, surely the Prof. doesn’t need to be reminded about that. I’m kicking myself for the time wasted reading his confused rhetoric, so painfully devoid of any semblence of substance or content. Kwanzi ‘Elitist Constructions’ Do Me A Favour….! Your brand is exactly that, Mr Professor ! retention of power by any means (thugs) zero injection of hierarchial fresh minds, Social mobility nonexistent (taboo in your Psych). You’re trying way too hard to be relevant, despite and no matter how much they distance you from the frontline. So oblivious to the manner they’re laughing at you damnit…wake-up mundeyere, the real clown of the ZPF lot. Zvegore rino, HAPENNO !!. tichadzidza zvakawanda. Brace yourselves.
I don’t know how Moyo speaks so passionately about something that he doesn’t even believe in just so that he can please Robert Mugabe.
Isn’t common sense that Zimbabwe would have been a different and better place had Robert Mugabe left the leadership way back in 1990?
Leaders who stay for so long prolong their stay for selfish reasons and not for the love of the country. This is all clear in Zim where Mugabe lost interest a long time ago and is now in the job so that he can enjoy free overseas medical treatment whilst the rest of the population are left to die.
Paul Kagame is loved by his people . Mugabe is not. Paul Kagame built his country and developed is people, Mugabe murdered his people and ruined his country …..