Zimbabwe MPs Pass Bill to Extend President’s Term to 2030

Fri Jun 19 2026 21:02:05 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Zimbabwe’s parliament has accepted a bill that lengthens presidential terms to seven years and removes direct elections.

Zimbabwe’s lower house voted to extend the presidential term from five to seven years, allowing President Emmerson Mnangagwa to stay in power until 2030. The draft also scrapped direct elections and lets parliament elect future presidents, postponing parliamentary elections to the same year. Over 200 lawmakers backed the move, while opposition groups argue it should be decided by referendum. Mnangagwa’s tenure follows disputed elections in 2018 and 2023, raising fears of democratic backsliding. The amendment now moves to the senate, awaiting final approval and potential pushback from constitutional courts.

Zimbabwe MPs Pass Bill to Extend President’s Term to 2030

The lower house of Zimbabwe’s parliament has approved a bill that would let President Emmerson Mnangagwa stay in power until 2030, extending presidential terms from five to seven years.

216 lawmakers voted in favour of the draft, surpassing the two‑thirds majority required to amend the constitution. Forty‑two members opposed the legislation.

The bill would also abolish direct presidential elections. Instead, the next president would be chosen by parliament.

Key provisions of the amendment include:

Scrap of presidential elections held since 1990

Parliament elects future presidents

Presidential and parliamentary terms extended to seven years

Parliamentary elections delayed from 2028 to 2030

President Mnangagwa remains in office until 2030, despite his second term ending in 2028

Mnangagwa, 83, took power in 2017 after ousting long‑time ruler Robert Mugabe with military support, and won disputed elections in 2018 and 2023.

Opposition parties, civil‑society groups and constitutional lawyers argue that fundamental changes should be put to a national referendum rather than solely through parliament. A recent court decision dismissed a legal challenge that had sought to halt the bill.

Supporters claim the changes are necessary for continuity and stability, while critics warn they could weaken democratic accountability. The amendment now heads to the senate for a final vote before being enacted by the president.