Leading Zimbabwe opposition figures accused the government Wednesday of orchestrating a constitutional “coup” to extend President Mnangagwa’s rule.
The cabinet approved sweeping amendments Tuesday, including extending the presidential term to seven years, following the ruling Zanu-PF’s 2030 agenda.
Other provisions scrap general elections, granting parliament authority to select the president and allowing Mnangagwa to appoint ten additional senators.
Opposition leaders insist the changes must face a national referendum, despite parliament being dominated by the Zanu-PF, critics said.
“The process in Zimbabwe is a coup by the incumbent to extend his office against the people’s will,” Job Sikhala declared.
He accused Mnangagwa of exploiting “tyrannical and dictatorial tendencies” to secure two more years in power until 2030.
The ruling party defended the amendments, claiming they would “enhance political stability and policy continuity” amid the nation’s turmoil.
Jameson Timba of the Citizens Coalition for Change said the government used “formal processes to entrench power without consent of the people.”
Mnangagwa rose to power in a 2017 military-backed coup, ousting Robert Mugabe after 37 years of rule in Zimbabwe.
Since his elections in 2018 and 2023, he has faced criticism for corruption, suppression of dissent, and erosion of democratic rights.
The National Democratic Working Group urged the African Union to intervene, warning that “peaceful anti-coup campaigners face severe repression and arbitrary arrests.”
Legal challenges in the Constitutional Court are anticipated, though it remains uncertain if public protests will escalate amid Zanu-PF infighting.
Prominent lawyer Tendai Biti affirmed Zimbabweans’ right to judicial recourse, while opposition figures called the amendments “outrageous and unacceptable.”