Zimbabwe MPs Approve Bill Extending Presidential Term To 2030

The Zimbabwe lower house of parliament has passed a controversial constitutional amendment that could allow President Emmerson Mnangagwa to remain in office until 2030.

More than 200 lawmakers voted in favour of the bill on Thursday, easily clearing the two-thirds majority required to amend the constitution. The legislation extends presidential terms from five to seven years and removes direct presidential elections, with future leaders instead to be chosen by parliament.

If fully enacted, the changes would mean Mnangagwa, 83, who is currently serving his second term and was due to leave office in 2028, could remain in power for an additional two years.

The bill now moves to the senate, where it is widely expected to pass before being signed into law by the president.

Mnangagwa came to power in 2017 after the military-backed removal of longtime leader Robert Mugabe. He later won disputed elections in both 2018 and 2023.

The constitutional changes are part of a wider push by the ruling Zanu-PF party, which has governed Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, to revise term limits and extend presidential tenure. The cabinet had already endorsed the proposal earlier this year.

During the parliamentary vote, Speaker Jacob Mudenda announced that 216 MPs supported the amendment, while 42 opposed it—well above the 187 votes needed for constitutional change.

Key provisions of the amendment include scrapping direct presidential elections, extending both parliamentary and presidential terms to seven years, and delaying the next general elections from 2028 to 2030.

Opposition parties, civil society organisations and legal experts have criticised the move, arguing that such major constitutional reforms should be decided through a national referendum rather than parliamentary approval alone.

Critics also warn the changes could weaken democratic accountability, while supporters argue they will provide political stability and continuity.

Zimbabwe’s 2013 constitution limits presidents to two terms and states that any extension of term limits must be approved by voters in a referendum, with additional safeguards preventing a sitting president from benefiting without further public approval.

However, on Wednesday, the Constitutional Court dismissed a legal challenge seeking to block the legislation, clearing the way for Thursday’s vote.