President Emmerson Mnangagwa has enacted the Constitutional Amendment Bill 3 into law, a move that immediately prolongs his second term and grants current members of Parliament an additional two years in office.
The bill, long opposed by civil society, has sparked fierce debate as critics accuse Zanu PF lawmakers of pushing through a scheme they call unconstitutional and an overt bid by Mnangagwa to cling to power. In practical terms, the changes lengthen the tenure of serving parliamentarians by two years.
Under the amendment, Zimbabwe’s president will be elected not by the general electorate but by members of Parliament — a shift that retired generals, senior civil servants and civic groups contend contravenes agreements born of the liberation struggle. Opponents argue the alterations should have been subjected to a public referendum and warn the measure risks concentrating further authority in the executive.
