Zimbabwe Senate approves constitutional amendment extending Mnangagwa's term until 2030

Zimbabwe's Senate has approved a constitutional amendment that would keep President Emmerson Mnangagwa in office until 2030. The vote took place on Wednesday and passed by 75 votes to four, according to Senate President Mabel Chinomona. The measure now needs Mnangagwa's signature before it can become law.

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The amendment is part of a wider package of changes that would extend presidential and parliamentary terms from five years to seven years. It would also allow the president to be elected by parliament rather than by direct popular vote. The bill had already passed the National Assembly last week, where 216 lawmakers voted in favour and 42 against.

The proposal has been backed by the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front, which has governed since independence in 1980 and holds a strong majority in parliament. The party resolved last year to change the constitution to prolong presidential terms, and the plan received cabinet backing in February. Mnangagwa came to power after a 2017 military coup that ousted Robert Mugabe, who had led the country since independence.

The vote is significant because it would alter the structure of Zimbabwe's political system and further concentrate power in the hands of the ruling party. Critics have described the changes as a constitutional coup, arguing that they would entrench ZANU-PF's control over the country. Opposition figures have also said the measures would weaken already limited competition in national politics.

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The amendment process has unfolded against a backdrop of pressure on opponents of the plan. Human Rights Watch said in March that Zimbabwean authorities were using violence and intimidation against people opposing the amendments. The organisation said police and unidentified armed men had threatened, harassed and beaten several people who were against the proposed changes.

Legal challenges have also failed to stop or invalidate the process so far. What remains unclear is whether Mnangagwa will sign the bill and how quickly any constitutional changes would be implemented. It is also not yet clear how much resistance the proposal may face outside parliament, where the ruling party has the numbers to advance it.

The next key step is the president's decision, which will determine whether the amendment becomes law and moves Zimbabwe toward a new term structure and a different method of choosing the head of state.

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