President Emmerson Mnangagwa has signed into law sweeping constitutional amendments that abolish Zimbabwe’s system of direct presidential elections and extend his stay in office by two years, ending months of speculation over whether he would leave power when his second and constitutionally final term was due to expire in 2028.
Government spokesperson Nick Mangwana confirmed the president’s assent on Tuesday, declaring the legislation “signed, sealed and delivered.” The Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 3) Act, 2026, which Mnangagwa signed on July 7 and was gazetted as Act No. 6 of 2026, postpones the next general election from 2028 to 2030 and resets the timeline for the president’s final term.
One of the law’s most significant changes replaces the direct election of the president by voters with an election by a joint sitting of both houses of Parliament, ending a system Zimbabwe has used since 1987. It also lengthens presidential and parliamentary terms from five years to seven, a move critics have condemned as a “constitutional coup.”
The amendments moved swiftly through Parliament. The National Assembly approved the bill on June 18 by 216 votes to 42, before the Senate passed it on June 24 by 75 votes to four. After Mnangagwa recalled lawmakers from recess for an extraordinary sitting, the lower house adopted the Senate’s amendments on June 30 by 226 votes to 41, paving the way for the president’s signature a week later.
The government says the reforms are designed to provide greater political stability. The Act argues that long-term national development programmes need “stability and continuity of policies and legislative frameworks within a predictable governance environment” so they can be completed.
Beyond extending terms, the law expands the Senate, allowing the president to appoint 10 additional senators based on professional expertise. It also creates a new Zimbabwe Electoral Delimitation Commission, transfers responsibility for the voters’ roll to the Registrar-General, establishes the office of Judge President of the Supreme Court, and abolishes the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission, which was created to address conflicts dating back to Zimbabwe’s early years after independence.
The legislation marks a sharp departure from Mnangagwa’s previous public commitments. In a 2018 interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, he said 10 years was enough for a president to implement a vision before handing over to a successor. As recently as February 2025, he reiterated at State House, “I’m very clear that I have two terms, and these terms are very definite.”
Despite those assurances, pressure within the ruling ZANU-PF party for him to remain in office continued to grow. When retired generals questioned the proposed amendments during meetings in May, Mnangagwa reportedly responded, “Whoever wins, wins.”
The constitutional overhaul has drawn strong opposition from lawyers, church leaders and civil society groups. The Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations, which includes the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference and the Zimbabwe Council of Churches, warned in February that passing the amendments without a referendum “would deeply wound the nation’s trust.”
Opposition lawyer Doug Coltart argued the changes could allow a sitting president to begin a fresh seven-year term after being elected by Parliament, potentially enabling lawmakers “to continually renew their own mandate without ever returning to the electorate.” Constitution Defenders Forum leader Tendai Biti said the amendments “create a clear pathway to power for syndicates and fat cats” while concentrating political power in the hands of a small elite.
The government insists a referendum was not required, relying on legal advice from the Attorney-General. Opposition parties, civil society organisations and some constitutional experts disagree, arguing that changes affecting presidential term limits and the method of electing the president are protected under Section 328 of the Constitution and must be approved by voters.
Legal challenges remain before Zimbabwe’s courts. They come amid separate allegations documented earlier this year by Human Rights Watch that police and unidentified armed men intimidated, assaulted and harassed people campaigning against the amendments.
Mnangagwa, 83, has led Zimbabwe since the military ousted Robert Mugabe in November 2017 after nearly four decades in power. The constitutional changes take effect as Zimbabwe seeks to rebuild investor confidence following years of inflation and currency instability. While the government argues the reforms will provide long-term political certainty, opponents say they have instead opened a new chapter of legal and political uncertainty.
By: Andrews Kwesi Yeboah