Zimbabwe’s Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Ziyambi Ziyambi, is expected today to table before cabinet, a highly controversial and divisive proposal to amend the country’s Constitution, a move that has already triggered sharp political debate and public backlash.
Zimbabwean legal consulting
The proposed amendments, contained in a leaked Cabinet memorandum shared by Ziyambi on Tuesday, outline sweeping changes to Zimbabwe’s governance framework, including altering how the president is elected, extending term lengths, and expanding executive appointment powers.
Under the proposals, Parliament would elect the president through a majority vote rather than by direct popular election. The plan also seeks to extend presidential and parliamentary terms from the current five years to seven years, a change the government argues would enhance policy continuity and allow for the completion of long-term national development projects.
Another key amendment would empower President Emmerson Mnangagwa to appoint an additional 10 senators, further strengthening executive influence over the legislature. The Senate currently consists of elected, appointed, and traditional leaders.
The proposed changes also include transferring custody of the voters’ roll from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to the Registrar-General, a move critics argue could undermine the independence of electoral processes. In addition, the amendments would relax restrictions governing the political participation of traditional leaders, a sensitive issue in a country where chiefs are constitutionally required to remain politically neutral.These amendments dilute the people’s vote, concentrate power in the presidency, and weaken checks and balances,” Chin’ono said in a social media post following the memo’s circulation.Government insiders and proponents of the reforms have defended the proposals, arguing they would bring Zimbabwe closer to governance systems used in countries such as South Africa and the United Kingdom, where presidents or prime ministers are elected by legislatures rather than directly by voters.
Zimbabwean legal consulting
However, critics have been scathing in their response. Investigative journalist and government critic Hopewell Chin’ono described the proposals as a calculated “power grab” designed to weaken democratic accountability and entrench executive authority.
