Zimbabwe’s cabinet on Tuesday approved sweeping changes to the constitution as part of a bid to extend 83-year-old President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term till 2030, angering opposition figures who warned any changes had to be put to a national referendum.
Mnangagwa came to power in 2017 in a military-backed coup that ousted Robert Mugabe, who was president for 30 years, and his Zanu-PF announced plans in October to extend his term beyond 2028.
The approved amendments include extending the presidential term from five to seven years and having parliament choose the president instead of the electorate, a cabinet statement said.
The bill would undergo “legal scrubbing” by the attorney general before being published in the government gazette and introduced to parliament, Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said.
Opposition politicians and analysts insisted it would require the approval of two-thirds of both houses of parliament, which is weighted towards the Zanu-PF, and a national referendum.
The ruling party’s “2030 agenda” has been on the cards for months, prompting opposition leaders to vow to “defend the constitution against its capture”.
Attempts to demonstrate against the plan have been met with a police crackdown that put scores of people in jail.
A post-cabinet statement said the amendments it had passed would “enhance political stability and policy continuity to allow development programmes to be implemented to completion”.
Other provisions include allowing the president to appoint 10 more senators, boosting the Senate to 90 seats.
