Zimbabwe holds public hearings on extending President Mnangagwa’s tenure
The proposed law changes seek to extend presidential and parliamentary terms, and potentially shift the election of the president from direct voting to parliamentary voting
Zimbabwe is holding nationwide public hearings on a controversial Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3, which could extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s rule and significantly reshape the country’s electoral system.
At the heart of the proposals is a plan to extend presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years, and potentially shift the election of the president from direct public voting to parliamentary voting, meaning lawmakers will be choosing the president on behalf of the masses.
Supporters say the changes will bring stability and government policy continuity, but critics warn they could weaken democracy and entrench one-party dominance.
Thousands of Zimbabweans have attended hearings across the country, including in Chitungwiza, the third-largest urban centre after Harare and Bulawayo.
Dissenting voices
However, at some of the venues, including the City Sports Centre in the capital, Harare, proceedings descended into chaos, with local media reporting that one of the critics of the amendments, lawyer Doug Coltart, was manhandled by a crowd while leaving the venue.
The leader of the Constitutional Defenders Forum, a group campaigning against the proposals, also said that at several hearings, critics were either heckled or denied a chance to speak.
The authorities have always rejected claims of blocking dissenting voices, saying the reforms are being pursued within the law.
The state-owned broadcaster, ZBC News, reported a massive turnout across the country since the beginning of the four-day public hearings by parliament on Monday, 30 March, with some of those who spoke describing the process as a “positive step”.
Cabinet backed proposals
The public hearings were organised by Zimbabwe’s parliament as part of the required 90-day public consultation on the draft constitutional changes.
The Zimbabwean Cabinet, led by President Mnangagwa, had already approved the proposals backed by the ruling ZANU-PF party, which has been in power since independence in 1980.
President Mnangagwa came to power following the removal of Robert Mugabe in 2017 and later won two elections, in 2018 and 2023.
He is due to step down in 2028 based on the current constitution limiting a president to a maximum of two five-year terms.
However, if the proposed amendments are eventually approved by parliament after the public hearings, he could remain in power until at least 2030.