pushing for the 2030 agenda are people of dubious economic and social status who are using
unorthodox means to derive economic benefits from their proximity to the president, the
advantage of which they want to prolong. They argue that the president has presided over an
unprecedented corruption being spearheaded by people who hang around him and that these are
the people behind the 2030 agenda. They also argue that extending the president’s term is illegal
as it violates Section 91 of the constitution which states that “a person is disqualified for election
as President or appointment as Vice-President if he or she has already held office as President
for two terms, whether continuous or not, and for the purpose of this subsection three or more
years’ service is deemed to be a full term” and Section 91 (2) which prevents an incumbent
president from benefitting any changes in the term limits. They also argue that amending a
constitution to benefit an individual will set a wrong precedent.
The 2030 agenda has therefore heightened tensions and factionalism within the ruling party. It
has triggered political events which mirror those which took place prior to the 2017 military
coup. The President has on many occasions, including during a meeting with editors and senior
media practitioners recently, distanced himself from the 2030 agenda stating that he is a
‘constitutionalist’ and will not stay in power beyond the two terms. Despite publicly distancing
himself from the 2030 campaigns, many analysts have questioned his sincerity. This is
particularly because in the past, before becoming president, he was on numerous occasions
questioned on his intentions to become president and he vehemently denied harboring such
intentions. His invitation of the 2030 protagonists to his farm, his reluctance to call those
pushing the 2030 agenda to order, the hunting down, arresting and detaining the 2030 antagonists
are all signs that the president is aiding and abetting the illegal amendment of the constitution to
extend his term of office. Therefore the push and counter-push for the 2030 agenda has led to a
rise in a host of human rights abuses, particularly the right to freedom of expression.
The legal basis for freedom of expression
A close analysis of human rights violations data in the possession of the Zimbabwe Peace Project
(ZPP) indicates a nexus between the political events linked to the 2030 agenda and an increase in
HRVs in general, and an increase in the violations of freedom of expression in particular. Before