‘Constitutional coup’ claims as Zimbabwean senate approves extending presidential term

Emmerson Mnangagwa and his Zanu-PF party have ruled Zimbabwe since independence in 1980. Photograph: Monicah Mwangi/Reuters View image in fullscreen Emmerson Mnangagwa and his Zanu-PF party have ruled Zimbabwe since independence in 1980. Photograph: Monicah Mwangi/Reuters ‘Constitutional coup’ claims as Zimbabwean senate approves extending presidential term Opposition figures fear changes will further tighten 83-year-old President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s hold on power Zimbabwe is on the brink of amending its constitution to give the president more time in office, a change the government said will bring stability – but which opponents have labelled a “constitutional coup”. The upper house of Zimbabwe’s parliament voted on Wednesday 75-4 in favour of the constitutional amendments, which would allow President Emmerson Mnangagwa to stay in office until 2030 by extending presidential terms from five to seven years. The vote followed the lower house last week passing the bill, which would replace direct presidential elections with the appointment of the president by parliament. The government said the president is expected to sign the bill into law next month. Opposition figures feared the changes would further tighten the hold on power of Mnangagwa, who is known as “The Crocodile”, and his Zanu-PF party, which has ruled Zimbabwe since independence in 1980. Mnangagwa, 83, won a second term in office with 52.6% of the vote in the 2023 presidential elections, amid criticisms from international observers and opposition figures. Critics of the constitutional changes claimed Zimbabwe could slide back to the repression seen under Robert Mugabe, who resigned in 2017 after 37 years in power, after a coup led by Mnangagwa . “It is a calculated constitutional coup against the people of Zimbabwe,” said Makomborero Haruzivishe, spokesperson for the Constitutional Defenders Forum (CDF), a group campaigning against the amendments. “It strips citizens of the fundamental right to directly elect their president, replacing popular sovereignty with parliamentary selection by a captured legislature.” Nick Mangwana, permanent secretary in Zimbabwe’s information ministry, said: “To characterise this legitimate legislative exercise as a ‘coup’ is not only factually incorrect but deeply disrespectful to the sovereign parliamentary processes of the Republic of Zimbabwe.” He said: “The primary objective is to enhance political stability and ensure policy continuity … We are not removing presidential term limits; we are simply adjusting the electoral cycle to reduce the frequency of highly contested, polarising elections.” Mangwana also rejected suggestions that constitutional amendments had to be approved in a referendum, saying the attorney general had found “no legal basis” for a people’s vote. View image in fullscreen Robert Mugabe addresses party members and supporters gathered at his party headquarters in 2017. Photograph: Jekesai Njikizana/AFP/Getty Images Opponents of the c