Zimbabwe's Senate has approved constitutional amendments that extend presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years and remove direct popular elections. The measure, which passed with a 75-4 vote, allows 83-year-old President Emmerson Mnangagwa to remain in office until 2030, delaying elections previously scheduled for 2028. Under the new system, the president will be selected by lawmakers.
The bill, championed by the ruling ZANU-PF party, was previously approved by the lower house. Although President Mnangagwa had previously stated he would step down when his second term expires in 2028, the legislation now extends his tenure. The president's signature is the final step required for the amendments to become law.
Opponents have labeled the move a constitutional coup, with human rights lawyers and activists arguing that extending presidential terms requires a referendum. Supporters counter that the changes are permissible because the two-term limit remains intact. The proposed amendments have heightened political tensions, with critics reporting harassment and intimidation, as well as arrests and detentions. Courts have yet to rule on several legal challenges to the proposal.
President Mnangagwa has been in power since 2017, when the military backed the ouster of longtime ruler Robert Mugabe, who died in 2019. While the government asserts that the amendments will bring stability, opposition figures fear the changes will further tighten the president's hold on power.