HARARE – Zimbabwe’s cabinet backed draft legislation on Tuesday that would change the constitution to extend presidential terms from five years to seven, allowing President Emmerson Mnangagwa to stay in office until 2030.
Other proposed changes in the bill presented to cabinet include a provision that the president be elected by parliament rather than through a direct popular vote.
Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi told a news briefing that the bill would be sent to the speaker of parliament and published in an official gazette before lawmakers consider it.
Mnangagwa, 83, is currently meant to step down in 2028 after serving two five-year terms, and there has been a succession battle in the ruling Zanu PF party over who will take over.
He came to power after a military coup ousted longtime leader Robert Mugabe in 2017. Lawyers and opposition politicians have condemned moves by his party to extend his time in office.
“Zanu PF is not seeking to amend the constitution; it is attempting to introduce an entirely new constitution outside people participation and a referendum – a step it plainly has no right to take,” prominent lawyer Thabani Mpofu said.
“A constitution is enacted by the people as a whole, not by a single political party or faction. Parliament’s law‑making power is confined to legislating for the peace, order, and good governance of the country. Replacing the constitution exceeds that mandate and undermines this constitutional principle.”
Jameson Timba, a former opposition senator, said in a statement that the cabinet’s approval of the changes was “politically destabilising”.
He said a group called Defend the Constitution Platform would immediately consult lawyers and brief regional and international partners as part of efforts to oppose the changes.
Professor Lovemore Madhuku, a constitutional law lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe, said “the attempts to amend the constitution to extend the president’s term will be fought and defeated.”
“The proposed constitutional amendments are totally unacceptable. The movers of these proposals have no respect for the people. The NCA party and I will be counted among those who will be at the forefront of mobilising for the total rejection of these proposals,” Madhuku added.
Zanu PF has ruled Zimbabwe since independence from Britain in 1980.
It has a two-thirds majority in the lower house of parliament and also overwhelmingly controls the upper house through traditional leaders and other proxies who generally vote with it, allowing it to change the constitution.
Ziyambi has publicly declared that they do not need a public referendum to force through the changes, a stance that is set to be tested in court.
Here is a breakdown of the amendments Zanu PF is planning:
Changing way the president is elected
The Bill removes the current system of directly electing the president by popular vote. Instead, the president would be elected by parliament. To win, a candidate must secure a majority of parliamentary votes.
Longer terms for the president and MPs
The Bill increases the term of office for both the president and Members of Parliament from five years to seven years.
Changes to succession
Instead of a vice president automatically assuming office following a vacancy, the bill proposes that parliament elect a new president within a specified period after the death, resignation or removal of an incumbent.
Changes to the Attorney General’s office
Under the Bill, anyone appointed as Attorney General would need to meet the qualifications required of a Supreme Court judge.
A bigger Senate
The Bill allows the president to appoint 10 more senators, increasing the total number from 80 to 90.
Control of elections
Responsibility for voter registration and the voters’ roll would move from ZEC to the Registrar General. A new Zimbabwe Electoral Delimitation Commission would be set up to take over the task of drawing constituency and ward boundaries from ZEC.
Judicial appointments
The Bill removes the public interview process for judicial appointments. This represents a shift away from the current system of open scrutiny in the selection of judges.
Role of the Defence Forces
The constitution would be amended to change how the role of the Defence Forces is described. Instead of stating that the military must “uphold” the constitution, it would say they must act “in accordance with” the constitution.
Abolition of commissions
The Bill abolishes the Zimbabwe Gender Commission and transfers its functions to the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission. The Peace and Reconciliation Commission is also abolished.
Traditional leaders and partisan politics
Requiring traditional leaders not to engage in partisan politics “violates their political rights,” a memorandum accompanying the Bill says. Amendments would allow traditional chiefs and village heads to openly dabble in politics.
Additional reporting by Reuters and NewzWire
