Zimbabwe Retired Generals Condemn New Constitutional Amendment, Call for Lawful Resistance

A group of retired senior military officers and former civil servants in Zimbabwe issued a strongly worded statement on 8 July 2026, signed by retired Air Marshal Henry Muchena. The group, describing itself as Retired Generals and Senior Civil Servants of Zimbabwe, condemned Constitutional Amendment Act No. 6 of 2026 – the amendment signed into law by President Emmerson Mnangagwa on 7 July 2026 that replaces direct presidential elections with an indirect system and extends presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years.

The statement titled the amendment an “abomination” and an “assault on the constitutional covenant made in 2013 by the people of Zimbabwe,” likening it to the 1965 Unilateral Declaration of Independence. It urged citizens to “organise, mobilise and use every lawful method available” to resist the changes, emphasizing that any opposition must remain peaceful and disciplined. Quotations included: “Our collective conscience will not allow us to remain silent while the Constitution is dismantled in silence by a few,” and “The law is being made to serve power, instead of power submitting to law.”

The declaration follows the formation of a broad coalition of churches, labour unions, civic groups and opposition leaders under the Constitutional Restoration Movement, which plans nationwide peaceful mobilisation and a Constitutional Court challenge. The government and the ruling ZANU‑PF party argue the reforms will improve governance and reduce election costs, while critics warn they weaken democratic accountability.