Zimbabwe's lower house of parliament has passed a controversial bill that would extend presidential terms, potentially allowing President Emmerson Mnangagwa to remain in power until 2030.
The National Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favour of the draft legislation on Thursday, with 216 lawmakers supporting the bill, well above the 187 votes needed for a two-thirds majority. The proposed constitutional amendments would postpone elections due in 2028 to 2030 and extend the presidential term from five to seven years.
The bill now moves to the Senate, where it is also expected to pass easily. Mnangagwa's ruling ZANU-PF party controls the upper house through traditional leaders and other proxies who generally vote along party lines.
Under the proposed changes, presidential elections would shift from a direct popular vote to selection by lawmakers themselves, a move that has raised serious concerns among opposition groups and civil society organisations.
President Mnangagwa, who is now 83 years old, came to power following a military coup in 2017 that ousted longtime leader Robert Mugabe. Before their falling out in the months leading up to the coup, Mnangagwa served as one of Mugabe's closest lieutenants, holding top government positions including vice president.
Signs that Mnangagwa wanted to remain in office beyond the end of his second term in 2028 first emerged about two years ago, when his supporters began chanting slogans at ZANU-PF rallies saying he needed more time to complete his agenda. Last year, the party formally resolved to change the constitution to lengthen presidential terms, and the plan received cabinet approval in February.
Critics have condemned the bill as a blatant attempt by Mnangagwa to extend his grip on power, though its backers argue it will strengthen accountability and foster political stability in the country.
Some activists and veterans of Zimbabwe's liberation war launched court challenges against the plan, but their cases were struck off the court roll this week on technical grounds, clearing the way for the legislative process to continue.
If the bill becomes law, Zimbabwe will join a growing list of African countries that have changed their constitutions to keep leaders in power for longer, entrenching a troubling trend on a continent where some of the world's oldest leaders govern some of its youngest populations.
Cameroon's Paul Biya, at 93, holds the title of the world's oldest head of state and has been in power since 1982, in a country where about 70 percent of the population is under 35 years old. Biya first took office a year after Ronald Reagan became US president, and America has since had seven different presidents.
Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo has ruled Equatorial Guinea for 47 years. At 84, he remains Africa's longest-serving ruler and has even appointed his son as vice president. In Ivory Coast, Alassane Ouattara, also 84, was sworn in for a fourth term in December 2025 after winning an election marked by low turnout and unrest.
Malawi elected Peter Mutharika again last year. Now 85, he returned to office after previously serving as president from 2014 to 2020. In Uganda, 81-year-old Yoweri Museveni, a US ally on regional security who has faced accusations of authoritarianism from critics, was sworn in for a seventh consecutive term in May, extending his rule to four decades.
Like Mnangagwa, Museveni, Ouattara, Biya and Obiang have all altered or removed constitutional restrictions to prolong their time in office, raising questions about democratic governance and political succession across the continent.
The developments in Zimbabwe have drawn international attention, with many observers watching closely to see whether the country's democratic institutions can withstand what critics describe as an assault on constitutional governance.
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