President Emmerson Mnangagwa signed a constitutional amendment into law on 7 July extending the presidential term from five to seven years and abolishing the popular election of the president in favour of selection by parliament, a change that will keep him in office two years beyond the limit previously set by the constitution.

Zimbabwe’s 2013 constitution restricted presidents to two five-year terms, which would have required Mr Mnangagwa to step down in 2028. The amendment, approved by parliament last month, postpones the next presidential election to 2030. It follows an October 2025 resolution by the ruling ZANU PF party, which argued the extension was necessary to ensure continuity and stability.

Human Rights Watch has documented attacks and arbitrary arrests against civil society groups, opposition parties, student leaders and activists who opposed the amendment. Lovemore Madhuku, a lawyer and leader of the National Constitutional Assembly, filed a challenge at the Constitutional Court, which dismissed the case on procedural grounds. Police and unidentified armed men have reportedly threatened, harassed and beaten opposition politicians and civil society figures, including at public consultation meetings on the proposed changes.

Mr Mnangagwa took power in a 2017 military coup, was elected in 2018 and reelected in 2023, having previously described himself as a constitutionalist committed to abiding by the country’s founding document to the letter. Article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights does not dictate the length of presidential terms but requires that citizens be able to choose their leaders through genuine periodic elections. The circumstances surrounding this amendment, and the government’s broader crackdown on dissent, raise serious questions about the future of democratic accountability in Zimbabwe.

Sources Human Rights Watch, “Zimbabwe Constitution Amended to Extend President’s Term”, 8 July 2026