Harare. Zimbabwe’s Cabinet on Tuesday backed draft legislation seeking constitutional changes that would extend presidential terms from five to seven years, a move that could allow President Emmerson Mnangagwa to remain in office until 2030.
The proposed bill also includes a provision for the president to be elected by Parliament rather than through a direct popular vote.
Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi told a news briefing that the draft law would be forwarded to the Speaker of Parliament and later published in the official gazette before lawmakers begin deliberations.
Mnangagwa, 83, is currently expected to step down in 2028 after completing two five-year terms. However, his pending exit has triggered a succession contest within the ruling Zanu-PF party over who would take over leadership.
He assumed power in 2017 following a military coup that removed longtime leader Robert Mugabe. Opposition politicians have since criticised efforts by the ruling party to prolong his stay in office.
Jameson Timba, a senior figure in the country’s divided opposition movement, described the Cabinet’s decision as “politically destabilising”.
In a statement, he said a group known as the Defend the Constitution Platform would consult lawyers and engage regional and international partners in efforts 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 also dominates the upper house through traditional leaders and allied representatives, giving it sufficient numbers to amend the constitution.
