The ruling Zanu-PF party has launched a legislative push to overhaul Zimbabwe's constitution, seeking to eliminate direct presidential elections and extend the executive term from five to seven years. If passed, the bill would allow parliament, rather than the electorate, to choose the head of state.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa, whose current term is scheduled to conclude in 2028, would remain in office until 2030 under the proposed changes. The legislation would also delay parliamentary elections from 2028 to 2030.
A slow coup
Opposition leaders have condemned the move as a major democratic backslide. “This is a coup, a slow coup that is unfolding in Zimbabwe,” said veteran politician and former finance minister Tendai Biti.
Zanu-PF officials argue the changes are intended to reduce the costs and instability associated with presidential campaigns. “There’s nothing that stops us to change, to go to another system that’s less costly, less controversial,” party spokesman Patrick Chinamasa told the BBC.
Recent public hearings in Harare highlighted the intense division surrounding the proposal. While supporters cheered for the extension of Mnangagwa’s rule, observers reported scenes of intimidation against critics. Attendees described incidents of pushing and fighting, with some participants reportedly having their mobile phones snatched to prevent the recording of dissent.
Opposition lawyer Fadzayi Mahere accused ruling party supporters of manufacturing chaos to silence opposition at the hearings. Chinamasa rejected these claims, asserting that the party has no reason to employ violence when it maintains popular support.
Human rights groups and opposition members report a broader pattern of repression. Lovemore Madhuku, leader of the National Constitutional Assembly, claimed he was beaten by masked assailants while police stood by. Meanwhile, Biti remains on bail following accusations of holding an unauthorized public meeting.
Zanu-PF has maintained power in Zimbabwe since the country's independence in 1980. Mnangagwa assumed the presidency in 2017 after a military-backed ouster of Robert Mugabe, later securing victories in the 2018 and 2023 elections. The party is expected to push the bill through parliament in the coming weeks.
