{"id":115211,"date":"2026-02-13T12:52:32","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T10:52:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/zimbabwe\/all-news\/legal-experts-criticize-zanu-pf-term-extension-plans"},"modified":"2026-02-13T14:56:36","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T12:56:36","slug":"legal-experts-criticize-zanu-pf-term-extension-plans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/zimbabwe\/all-news\/legal-experts-criticize-zanu-pf-term-extension-plans","title":{"rendered":"Legal Experts Criticize ZANU PF Term Extension Plans"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. <\/strong><\/span>Constitutional law experts have criticised ZANU-PF\u2019s proposed constitutional amendments to extend presidential terms from five to seven years, a move that would allow President Emmerson Mnangagwa to remain in office until 2030.<\/p>\n

The Constitutional Amendment Bill, tabled before Cabinet on Tuesday, 10 February 2026, also proposes that the president be elected by Parliament rather than through a direct popular vote, fundamentally altering Zimbabwe\u2019s democratic process.<\/p>\n

Mnangagwa, 83, is currently scheduled to step down in 2028, having served two five-year terms. He assumed power following a military takeover that ended Robert Mugabe\u2019s long tenure in 2017.<\/p>\n

Professor Lovemore Madhuku, a constitutional law expert and lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe, said:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe proposed constitutional amendments for [ 2030] are totally unacceptable! The movers of these proposals have no respect for the people.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe NCA party and I will be counted among those who will be at the forefront of mobilising for the total rejection of these proposals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Madhuku is also the leader of the opposition political party, the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA).<\/p>\n

Advocate Thabani Mpofu argued that ZANU PF is not merely seeking to amend the Constitution but is attempting to introduce an entirely new one without public participation or a referendum\u2014a step to which it clearly has no entitlement.<\/p>\n

He added that a constitution is enacted by the people as a whole, not by a single political party or faction, stressing that Parliament\u2019s law\u2010making power is limited to legislating for the peace, order, and good governance of the country. Said Mpofu:<\/p>\n

\u201cReplacing the constitution exceeds that mandate and undermines this constitutional principle.<\/p>\n

\u201cZANU PF is governing on a contested mandate following the disputed 2023 elections. Even then, it failed to garner a two-thirds majority.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt therefore lacks the legitimate popular authority to impose a new constitution unilaterally.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn fact, the minister under whose hand this affront is being engineered lost his party\u2019s internal elections.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe has no moral authority to talk about the will of the people, let alone constitutionally legislate in its purported defence.<\/p>\n

\u201cFundamental constitutional change requires broad, inclusive national consensus.<\/p>\n

\u201cAttempting to substitute a constitution through partisan processes would violate the principles of legitimacy and popular sovereignty.<\/p>\n

\u201cZANU PF is not even acting on the authority of its highest decision-making body, the Congress. Conference is not Congress.\u201d<\/p>\n

Constitutional lawyer, law lecturer, and former Member of Parliament, Fadzayi Mahere, said:<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ve destroyed our lives. Now they want to destroy the Constitution. Every citizen must be disgusted and alarmed by this abuse of power that will mark the final nail in the coffin of Zimbabwe\u2019s democracy. It\u2019s a shame.\u201d<\/p>\n

United Kingdom\u2010based Zimbabwean lawyer Brighton Mutebuka warned that the proposed constitutional amendments would enable Mnangagwa to entrench a political dynasty. He said:<\/p>\n

\u201cED edges closer to establishing a modern-day Munhumutapa Empire as Chiwenga & Chamisa teeter on the brink of political irrelevancy via the one fell swoop that the proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill is!\u201d<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Zimbabwe<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. Constitutional law experts have criticised ZANU-PF\u2019s proposed constitutional amendments to extend presidential terms from five to seven years, a move that would allow President Emmerson Mnangagwa to remain in office until 2030. The Constitutional Amendment Bill, tabled before Cabinet on Tuesday, 10 February 2026, also proposes that the president be elected by […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":115210,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,8,10],"tags":[19],"class_list":["post-115211","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-head-lines","category-parties","tag-zimbabwe"],"yoast_head":"\nLegal Experts Criticize ZANU PF Term Extension Plans - zimbabwe<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Constitutional law experts have criticised ZANU-PF\u2019s proposed constitutional amendments to extend presidential terms fro ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/zimbabwe\/all-news\/legal-experts-criticize-zanu-pf-term-extension-plans\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Legal Experts Criticize ZANU PF Term Extension Plans\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Constitutional law experts have criticised ZANU-PF\u2019s proposed constitutional amendments to extend presidential terms fro ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/zimbabwe\/all-news\/legal-experts-criticize-zanu-pf-term-extension-plans\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"zimbabwe\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-13T10:52:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-13T12:56:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/zimbabwe\/sites\/14\/2026\/02\/sm_1770987353.925996.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"696\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"522\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/zimbabwe\/all-news\/legal-experts-criticize-zanu-pf-term-extension-plans#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/zimbabwe\/all-news\/legal-experts-criticize-zanu-pf-term-extension-plans\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/zimbabwe\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Legal Experts Criticize ZANU PF Term Extension Plans\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-13T10:52:32+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-13T12:56:36+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/zimbabwe\/all-news\/legal-experts-criticize-zanu-pf-term-extension-plans\"},\"wordCount\":506,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/zimbabwe\/all-news\/legal-experts-criticize-zanu-pf-term-extension-plans#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/zimbabwe\/sites\/14\/2026\/02\/sm_1770987353.925996.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Zimbabwe\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"head lines\",\"parties\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/zimbabwe\/all-news\/legal-experts-criticize-zanu-pf-term-extension-plans#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/zimbabwe\/all-news\/legal-experts-criticize-zanu-pf-term-extension-plans\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/zimbabwe\/all-news\/legal-experts-criticize-zanu-pf-term-extension-plans\",\"name\":\"Legal Experts Criticize ZANU PF Term Extension Plans - 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