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Zimbabwe’s Senate on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved a controversial constitutional amendment that will extend the country’s President, Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term in office until 2030.
The bill, which passed by a vote of 75-4 according to Senate President Mabel Chinomona, extends presidential terms from five to seven years and defers the next general elections, originally due in 2028, by two years.
Mnangagwa, 83, who assumed power in 2017 after the military-assisted removal of longtime leader Robert Mugabe and won elections in 2018 and 2023, is serving what was constitutionally his final term.
The amendment effectively grants him an additional two years.
The legislation also shifts the election of future presidents from direct popular vote to selection by parliament, while another provision allows the president to appoint ten additional senators.
The National Assembly, Zimbabwe’s lower house, passed the bill last week with 216 votes in favour and 42 against, exceeding the required two-thirds majority for constitutional changes.
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The ruling ZANU-PF party, which dominates both chambers of parliament, strongly backed the measure.
Critics, including opposition figures, have described the move as a “constitutional coup” and an effort to entrench power amid repression of dissent.
The amendments now require presidential assent to take effect as public consultations on the proposals were held earlier this year.
Mnangagwa has previously stated he would not seek a third term under the existing constitution, but the changes reshape the rules governing his continued leadership.
Zimbabwe’s political landscape has long been dominated by ZANU-PF since independence in 1980.
