Esigodini — THE Women's League of the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union- Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) has endorsed calls by liberation war veterans to increase the minimum presidential age limit from 40 to 52 years.
The move is yet another strategy to scuttle ambitions by opposition leader, Nelson Chamisa (40), of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Alliance to lead the country.
Monica Mutsvangwa, ZANU-PF Women's League Secretary for Administration, who is also minister of information, confirmed the endorsement of the age limit at a ZANU-PF's 17th Annual People's Conference that kicked-off on Monday in Esigodini, Matabeleland South Province.
"We support the resolution made by war vets that the age limit (52) be set on eligibility to presidential candidates," Mutsvangwa said.
Last week, the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) urged ZANU-PF parliamentarians to use their two thirds majority to raise the age limit of presidential aspirants.
Victor Matemadanda, the ZNLWVA Secretary General, claimed the calls were influenced by the need to deal with activists who call for economic sanctions against their own country.
Chamisa (40) was set to challenge President Emmerson Mnangagwa (76) for the top post in 2023.
Mnangagwa was declared the winner with 50,8 percent of the poll to Chamisa's 44,3 percent but the opposition maintains the July 30 poll was rigged.
ZANU-PF secured a majority 52 percent of the parliamentary poll against MDC's 34 percent.
The ongoing ZANU-PF congress makes country's policy and economic decisions for the next five years.
