Zimbabwe lawmakers support legislation extending president’s time in power

Zimbabwe’s lower house of parliament passed a bill to extend presidential terms from five to seven years on Thursday, which would allow President Emmerson Mnangagwa to remain in power until 2030.

Some 216 ​lawmakers voted in favour of the draft legislation, passing the 187 mark needed ​for a two-thirds majority.

The bill now moves to the upper house of ⁠parliament, where it is also expected to sail through as Mnangagwa’s governing ZANU-PF party ​controls it through traditional leaders and other proxies who generally vote with the party.

Signs that ​Mnangagwa, 83, wanted to stay in power beyond the end of his second term in 2028 emerged about two years ago, when his supporters started chanting slogans at ZANU-PF rallies that he needed more ​time to complete his agenda.

Last year, the party decided to amend the constitution to extend presidential terms, and the plan got the cabinet’s approval in February.

Critics say the bill is a ruse for Mnangagwa to ‌stay ⁠in power for longer, though its backers say it will strengthen accountability and foster political stability.

He came to power after a 2017 military coup ousted longtime leader Robert Mugabe, who had ​been in power since ​independence in 1980.

Until ⁠they fell out in the months leading up to the coup, Mnangagwa was one of Mugabe’s closest lieutenants, serving in top government ​positions including vice president.

Some activists and veterans of the country’s liberation ​war launched court ⁠challenges against the plan to extend Mnangagwa’s time as head of state, but they were struck off the court roll this week for technical reasons.

In countries like Cameroon and Uganda, leaders have altered laws to extend time in power, reinforcing a growing trend across Africa where some of the oldest leaders preside over the continent’s youngest populations.