The member of the Kgalema Motlanthe Commission of inquiry, the constitutional lawyer, Prof Lovemore Madhuku has dismissed War veterans Secretary General Victor Matemadanda’s proposal to change the presidential age limit from 40 years to 52 years.

Matemadanda has said, “(We) call upon the ZANU PF conference to ask Parliament to amend the age limit of those who can contest on the presidential election from the age of 40 to 52 so that ages for contesting (sic) will be as follows, council and MP, 18 years upwards, senator 40 years upwards, president 52 years upwards.”

But Madhuku called Matemadanda an unrepentant element of the old order. Speaking at a Human Rights Forum in Harare on Monday, Madhuku said:

“The likes of (Victor) Matemadanda are elements of the old order, calling for Constitutional amendment to make 52 years the minimum age for one to qualify to be president. Even Robert Mugabe did not go that far.”

“There will always be elements of old order. Some people feel threatened by change and may want to go back. The New Dispensation keeps being warned that change is dangerous, hence in ZanuPF they are going back to the old order.

“Elements of old regime exist resisting and are change, like someone claiming to be a war veteran who said president minimum age should be 52years by constitutional amendment. Those are elements of the old order. This is the challenge. There are people that believe they have a right to govern and they want to remain in power,” prof Madhuku further added.-Agencies