Tendai Ruben Mbofana
The current discourse surrounding the proposed Constitutional Amendment No 3 Bill in Zimbabwe represents a profound misunderstanding of democratic principles or, more likely, a deliberate attempt to subvert them.
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Proponents of this bill argue that the nation must transition from a five year to a seven year presidential term because frequent elections breed polarization, which supposedly stymies economic development.
This narrative is not only flawed but dangerously misleading.
To suggest that the vibrance of political disagreement is a hurdle to prosperity is to ignore the history of every successful modern state.
Polarization is not a symptom of a failing nation but rather it is the heartbeat of a living democracy.
When we examine the most developed nations on earth, we do not find a landscape of quiet, uniform agreement.
Instead, we see societies characterized by deep, often visceral divisions.
In the United States, the United Kingdom, or India, the political arena is a constant battlefield of ideologies.
In the United States, political polarization is anchored in a structural, relentless competition between the Democratic and Republican parties, which represent diametrically opposed visions for the country’s economy and social fabric.
This partisan divide is amplified by a media landscape.
On one side, Fox News and the Wall Street Journal editorial board serve as powerful conservative voices, while on the other, MSNBC, The New York Times, and CNN often champion liberal perspectives.
This constant, high-decibel friction means no leader escapes scrutiny; one side’s hero is the other’s subject of a scorched-earth investigation.
Despite this visceral friction—often characterized by legislative gridlock and fierce national debates—the U.S. remains the world’s largest economy.
This is because the country possesses the political maturity to keep state institutions, like the judiciary and the Federal Reserve, independent and apolitical, ensuring they remain untouched by the partisan warfare.
The United Kingdom operates on a similarly adversarial model, where the Westminster system constitutionally mandates a “Loyal Opposition” to challenge the ruling party at every turn.
This was most evident during the Brexit referendum, which triggered a profound national and political rift that split parties and the media—with The Guardian and the Daily Mail leading opposing ideological charges.
Yet, the U.K. continues to thrive as a global financial hub because its divisions drive a culture of “hostile accountability.”
The intense polarization ensures that no Prime Minister can govern without facing brutal, public scrutiny in Parliament, proving that development is not hindered by disagreement, but protected by it.
These nations understand a fundamental truth that Zimbabwe’s ruling elite seems eager to suppress.
Political polarization is an essential mechanism for accountability.
A healthy democracy requires that citizens do not blindly support the government of the day.
Polarization ensures that there is always a segment of the population, and a corresponding political opposition, that is scrutinizing every policy, every expenditure, and every legislative move.
This tension keeps those in power sharp and the opposition on its toes.
When a government knows it is being watched by a motivated and vocal dissent, it is less likely to succumb to the lethargy of entitlement or the temptations of unchecked corruption.
The presence of a polarized electorate means that the state must constantly earn its legitimacy through performance rather than through the silencing of critics.
The argument that elections are the source of Zimbabwe’s economic woes is a convenient scapegoat for administrative failure.
Economic development does not require a silent populace.
It requires predictable laws, transparent governance, and a stable environment for investment.
The reason polarization feels toxic in Zimbabwe is not because of the frequency of elections but because of a lack of political maturity in managing diversity of thought.
In mature democracies, the state exists independently of the party in power.
This is where Zimbabwe has lost its way.
Our divisions become problematic only when state institutions are hijacked as tools to defend the ruling elite while cracking down on and repressing dissenting voices.
When the police, the judiciary, and the military remain apolitical and independent, polarization is harmless to the national fabric.
In such a system, an opponent of the government can march in the street without fear of being arrested or beaten or shot.
A journalist can expose high level graft without being slapped with spurious charges.
A human rights defender can advocate for the vulnerable without being labeled a terrorist or a puppet of foreign interests.
In these successful democracies, even though the people are divided on who should lead, they are united in their trust that the institutions of the state will protect them regardless of their vote.
In Zimbabwe, the reality is starkly different.
The public media—despite its clear constitutional mandate to be impartial and balanced—has effectively abdicated its public service responsibility to become a relentless mouthpiece for the ruling elite, serving as a blunt instrument to vilify opposition figures and demonize civic activists.
State resources are weaponized to reward loyalty and punish dissent.
We see the weaponization of poverty, where basic needs and food aid are sometimes used to coerce political support.
These are the real obstacles to economic development.
It is the erosion of the rule of law and the systematic repression of the citizenry that scares away investors and stifles local ingenuity, not the fact that we go to the polls every five years.
Extending the presidential term from five to seven years will not solve polarization.
It will only deepen the sense of disenfranchisement among those who feel the current system does not represent them.
It creates a longer period of unaccountability and further removes the government from the immediate concerns of the people.
It will merely grant the state a longer, unchecked lease to weaponize brutality and delay the inevitable explosion of suppressed national divisions from five to seven year intervals.
If the goal were truly national stability and economic growth, the focus would be on institutional reform.
We need a Zimbabwe where the constitution is not a flexible document to be altered at the whim of those seeking to prolong their stay in power, but a sacred covenant that is obeyed, upheld, and defended.
The current constitution already provides a framework for a prosperous and democratic nation.
It mandates the protection of human rights, the independence of the judiciary, the neutrality of the security services, and the professionalism of the electoral commission.
If those in power were to simply follow the law as it is currently written, the polarization they fear would be transformed into the constructive debate that drives progress.
We do not need to change the constitution to accommodate a longer term.
We need those in power to change their behavior to accommodate the constitution.
True leadership does not seek to outrun the clock by extending terms.
It seeks to build a legacy within the time allotted by the people.
Polarization is a sign that the people are engaged, that they care about the direction of their country, and that they are exercising their right to think for themselves.
To view this as a threat is to admit a fear of the democratic process itself.
Zimbabwe’s path to prosperity lies in embracing this diversity, strengthening our independent institutions, and ensuring that no leader is ever above the will of the voters.
The answer is not more time for the powerful but more power for the law.
We must reject the notion that our democratic rights are a hindrance to our development and instead demand the political maturity required to move our nation forward together.
- Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice advocate and writer. To directly receive his articles please join his WhatsApp Channel on: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaqprWCIyPtRnKpkHe08