Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has defended the constitutional amendments that extend his presidency until 2030, insisting the changes were the result of a “collective decision” rather than his personal ambition, even though he had previously pledged to leave office in 2028.
Speaking during an interview with senior state media journalists at State House in Harare, Mnangagwa said Parliament had “done the correct thing” by approving Constitutional Amendment Act No. 3, which was signed into law last week.
The legislation extends Zimbabwe’s presidential, parliamentary and local government terms from five years to seven years, postpones the next general election from 2028 to 2030, replaces direct presidential elections with selection by Parliament and expands the Senate from 80 to 90 members, with the president appointing the additional 10 senators.
It wasn’t an idea of an individual. You cannot attribute this to a particular individual or group of persons, but a collective evolution of the political process,” Mnangagwa said.
The president rejected suggestions that the reforms were designed to serve one person, saying government decisions were reached collectively.
“I don’t believe in individual persuasion or individual systems where the wishes of an individual take the day. I carry my Cabinet and the country on whatever decision we make,” he said.
A reversal from earlier assurances
Mnangagwa’s defence marks a sharp contrast with remarks he made in September 2024 during a visit to China, when he publicly stated that he would step down at the end of his constitutionally mandated second term in 2028.
At the time, he said he already knew the date he would leave office and urged supporters campaigning for him to remain in power to abandon the effort.
The new constitutional amendments, however, extend his current term by two years to 2030 while keeping the two-term limit in place by lengthening each presidential term from five years to seven.
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