Harare quiet after shutdown call over constitutional changes

Harare was unusually quiet on Friday after opposition groups and civil society activists called for a nationwide shutdown over constitutional changes in Zimbabwe. Police were deployed across the capital, and the heavy security presence was visible in streets leading into the central business district. The morning rush hour was lighter than normal, with fewer cars on the roads and some businesses opening while others stayed closed.

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By about 8:30am local time, parts of the city centre were beginning to stir, but the atmosphere remained cautious. Police blocked access to a popular park where people often gather and parked water cannon trucks in an open space that has been used for previous demonstrations. Authorities have banned the planned protests, and public gatherings in Zimbabwe require police approval.

The shutdown call came after constitutional amendments were approved by parliament and signed into law in July. According to the reported changes, the next presidential election would move from 2028 to 2030, and presidential and parliamentary terms would be extended from five years to seven. The amendments would also change how future presidents are chosen, replacing a direct vote by the public with an election by parliament.

The changes have become politically significant because critics say they could allow President Emmerson Mnangagwa to remain in office longer than previously expected. Mnangagwa came to power in 2017 after Robert Mugabe was removed, and he won elections in 2018 and 2023. He had been expected to leave office at the end of his second term in 2028, so the amendments have intensified scrutiny of the government's plans and the limits of political competition in Zimbabwe.

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The response in Harare also reflects a wider pattern of tension between the authorities and opposition groups over protest rights. Opposition parties and civil society organisations have repeatedly criticised restrictions on demonstrations, while the state has maintained that gatherings must be authorised. The deployment of police and the use of barriers and water cannon trucks suggested officials were preparing for possible unrest even though the city remained largely calm.

What remains unclear is how widely the shutdown call will be observed outside Harare and whether any protests will emerge later in the day. It is also not yet clear how the authorities will respond if supporters of the shutdown attempt to gather in defiance of the ban. For now, the capital appears to be waiting to see whether the political dispute over the constitutional changes turns into a broader public confrontation.

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