Zimbabwe’s parliament has passed a bill that would extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term, a move critics call a legalised power grab. The bill, pushed through by the ruling ZANU-PF party, amends the constitution to allow the president to serve until 2030, bypassing the current term limits set for 2028. Sources confirm the vote was rushed through with little debate, with opposition MPs walking out in protest.
The bill now awaits approval from Mnangagwa, who will likely sign it into law. This is not a surprise. Mnangagwa, who took over after Robert Mugabe’s ouster in 2017, has consolidated power faster than a Harare pickpocket.
He’s jailed his main rival, Nelson Chamisa, driven the opposition into the ground, and now he wants to stay in the big chair for another decade. The bill’s passage is a middle finger to the constitution, which was itself a compromise document. But no one in ZANU-PF cares about that anymore.
They care about keeping their snouts in the trough. The economy is in the toilet: inflation is running at over 100 per cent again, the currency is worthless, and doctors are striking for the fifth time this year. But Mnangagwa doesn't answer to the people.
He answers to the generals and the party barons who want a slice of the diamond and gold profits. The bill also sends a message to the international community: we don't care what you think. The US and EU have already slapped sanctions on Zimbabwe, but they've been useless.
China and Russia aren't going to care about term limits. They just want lithium and palladium. So what happens next?
Protests will be crushed. The security apparatus is loyal to Mnangagwa. The courts are compromised.
There is no check on power. Zimbabwe is sliding into a soft dictatorship, one bill at a time. Watch for the president’s signature within days.
Then watch for the streets to empty once the water cannons arrive. The democratic concerns are not just concerns. They are warnings.
