25/06/2026 20:12 - Internacionales
Zimbabwe's Senate approved on Wednesday, June 25, 2026, with an overwhelming majority of 75 votes in favor and only 4 against, a constitutional amendment that fundamentally changes the African country's political system. The reform extends presidential terms from five to seven years and replaces direct presidential elections with parliamentary designation.
The bill had already been approved by the lower house the previous week and is expected to be signed into law by the president next month. If implemented, it would allow Emmerson Mnangagwa, 83, known as 'the Crocodile,' to remain in office until 2030.
Opposition figures have described the measure as a 'constitutional coup'. Makomborero Haruzivishe, spokesperson for the Constitutional Defenders Forum (CDF), stated: 'It is a calculated constitutional coup against the people of Zimbabwe. It removes citizens' fundamental right to directly elect their president, replacing popular sovereignty with parliamentary selection by a captured legislature.'
Tendai Biti, one of the CDF conveners and former Finance Minister, reported that security forces have raided his office six times since October 2025. In March 2026, his driver was assaulted during one of these incidents.
Nick Mangwana, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information, defended the reform: 'Characterizing this legitimate legislative exercise as a coup is not only incorrect, but deeply disrespectful to Zimbabwe's sovereign parliamentary processes.'
Mangwana stated that the objective is 'to improve political stability and guarantee policy continuity.' The official assured that the consultation process received 537,000 submissions with an 'overwhelming majority supporting the constitutional changes.'
Mnangagwa won a second term in 2023 with 52.6% of the vote, in elections questioned by international observers. His party, Zanu-PF, has governed the country since independence in 1980. Many Zimbabweans see his government as a continuation of Robert Mugabe's repressive regime, who was overthrown in 2017 precisely by the current president.
Lovemore Madhuku, a lawyer who filed a constitutional challenge against the amendment bill, was beaten in March 2026 by a group of masked men who fled in unmarked vehicles followed by two police vehicles. Local media published photos of Madhuku with large marks on his back.
Jameson Timba, minister during the government of national unity (2009-2013), denounced that he was prevented from speaking during public consultation events: 'In almost all districts, people were denied the opportunity to speak... Those public hearings are a fraud.'
In 2024, the United States imposed sanctions on Mnangagwa, his wife Auxillia, and nine other individuals, accusing them of corruption. Zimbabwe has faced international isolation since the 2000s, when Mugabe's government confiscated more than 4,000 farms from mostly white owners, triggering an economic collapse.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
