HARARE — The ruling ZANU-PF is pushing ahead with plans to amend the Constitution of Zimbabwe to extend the tenure of President Emmerson Mnangagwa to 2030, with senior party officials insisting the proposed changes do not require a national referendum.
The proposed Constitutional Amendment No. 3 Bill, which critics say could undermine constitutional safeguards, was defended during a media briefing in Harare by constitutional lawyer Paul Mangwana, who argued that Parliament has the authority to amend most provisions of the Constitution without direct public approval.
Mangwana, a former co-chairperson of the Constitution Parliamentary Select Committee (Copac) that drafted the current Constitution between 2009 and 2013, said only certain protected clauses require a referendum.
“The Constitution provides that whenever the people of Zimbabwe, through their Parliament, deem it fit to amend the Constitution, they can do so,” Mangwana said, dismissing growing public concerns over the legality of the proposed changes.
According to Mangwana, only specific provisions were deliberately insulated from parliamentary amendment when the Constitution was drafted. He argued that the current proposal falls outside those protected areas and therefore can be passed with a two-thirds parliamentary majority.
“The Constitution clearly outlines which sections are protected. If a provision is not among those, Parliament can amend it with the required two-thirds majority,” he said.
Mangwana also sought to justify the extension of the presidential term, saying the amendment proposes a two-year extension rather than the introduction of a new presidential term.
“A full presidential term is defined as a period exceeding three years. The proposed amendment extends the current term by two years, which does not constitute a new term,” he said.
The push for constitutional changes follows a resolution adopted by ZANU-PF at its 21st ZANU-PF Annual People’s Conference held in Bulawayo, where party delegates endorsed a motion calling for Mnangagwa to remain in office until 2030.
ZANU-PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa said the proposed amendment is intended to ensure policy continuity as the government pursues its economic development agenda under Vision 2030, which aims to transform Zimbabwe into an upper-middle-income economy.
“As a party, we made a resolution that President Mnangagwa should remain in office until 2030, and government is implementing that resolution,” Mutsvangwa said.
He argued that extending Mnangagwa’s tenure would allow the government to complete key economic and infrastructure programmes launched under the so-called Second Republic.
However, the proposal is likely to face strong resistance from opposition parties and civil society groups, who argue that extending the president’s tenure risks weakening constitutional term limits and undermining democratic principles.
Critics have also questioned the justification for amending the Constitution for political convenience, warning that repeated changes to the supreme law could erode public trust in Zimbabwe’s constitutional framework.
The Constitutional Amendment No. 3 Bill is expected to be tabled before Parliament for debate, where ZANU-PF’s parliamentary majority could prove decisive in determining its fate.
