Zimbabwe Extends Presidential Term to 7 Years as Mnangagwa’s Tenure Moves to 2030

Zimbabwe’s cabinet has approved a proposed bill that could change the country’s constitution and extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s time in office until 2030.

The draft law seeks to increase the presidential term from five years to seven years. If passed by parliament, the change would allow Mnangagwa to remain president beyond his current term limit.

The bill also proposes a major change in how the president is chosen. Instead of being elected directly by citizens, the president would be elected by members of parliament. This proposal has already sparked debate among politicians and the public.

Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi announced that the bill will be submitted to the Speaker of Parliament and published in the official government gazette before lawmakers begin discussions on it.

Currently, Mnangagwa, who is 83 years old, is expected to leave office in 2028 after completing two five-year terms. However, the proposed constitutional changes have intensified internal competition within the ruling ZANU-PF party over who should succeed him.

Mnangagwa became president in 2017 after a military intervention removed former leader Robert Mugabe from power. Since then, opposition leaders have strongly criticised efforts by the ruling party to extend his leadership.

Jameson Timba, a senior opposition figure, described the cabinet’s decision as a move that could destabilise Zimbabwe’s political environment. He said a group known as the Defend the Constitution Platform would seek legal advice and engage regional and international partners to challenge the proposed changes.

ZANU-PF has governed Zimbabwe since the country gained independence from Britain in 1980. The party holds a two-thirds majority in the lower house of parliament and has significant influence in the upper house, giving it the power to amend the constitution if lawmakers support the bill.