Zimbabwe President Mnangagwa extends term to 2030 via constitutional amendment

On 7 July 2026 President Emmerson Mnangagwa signed Constitutional Amendment Act No. 3 (later Act No. 6 of 2026) into law, extending the presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years and abolishing direct presidential elections. The amendment postpones the next election, originally due in 2028, to 2030 and transfers the authority to elect the president to a joint sitting of Parliament. The changes passed both houses of Parliament in June, with the National Assembly approving the bill by a vote of 216 of 258 members.

Critics, including opposition lawyers, civil‑society groups and the Southern African Development Community, denounced the reform as a “constitutional coup”, warning that it concentrates power in ZANU‑PF and violates the 2013 Constitution’s democratic guarantees. Lawyers such as Tendai Biti and Lovemore Madhuku called for legal challenges, and a broad coalition of churches, unions, students and opposition leaders announced plans for nationwide peaceful mass action and a constitutional court case.

Human‑rights organisations have documented harassment, arrests and intimidation of critics surrounding the amendment process. The move marks a significant shift in Zimbabwe’s political system, keeping the 83‑year‑old leader—who came to power after the 2017 military‑backed ouster of Robert Mugabe—in office until 2030.