Overview
- The National Assembly voted in favour of the amendment with 216 supporting votes, surpassing the two-thirds threshold required in that chamber.
- The bill would lengthen presidential terms from five to seven years and move the next national election from 2028 to 2030 if the measures are ratified.
- The proposal now goes to the Senate, where ZANU-PF’s control through allied traditional leaders and proxies makes final approval likely.
- Activists and some independence war veterans have launched legal challenges, but several cases were removed from the court roll on technical grounds this week, limiting near-term judicial review.
- Supporters say the changes will boost stability and allow longer-term planning, while critics call it a power grab and analysts link the move to a regional trend of elder leaders changing rules to extend tenure.