Busha Rejects Constitutional Changes, Demands 2028 Elections

Alternative governing party Free Zimbabwe Congress (FZC) has sharply criticized a proposed constitutional amendment that would change key aspects of Zimbabwe’s electoral framework and effectively allow President Emmerson Mnangagwa to remain in office until 2030, even though his current term is due to end in 2028 under existing constitutional provisions. FZC leader Joseph Makamba Busha said the move was part of a broader agenda by the ruling ZANU-PF party to entrench itself and consolidate power. He said, “ZANU-PF and the President have never respected the people of Zimbabwe and the Constitution.

This is a ZANU-PF agenda: to preserve ZANU-PF itself, to preserve what has been looted, and to destroy what is left of the country, making everyone a beggar.” Busha added. “No amendments outside a referendum are legitimate. Zimbabweans can’t be misled like in the 2017 Coup.

Elections must be held in 2028,” underscoring his party’s rejection of the Cabinet’s decision and its call for elections under the current constitutional timetable. Opposition figures and civil society leaders have described the proposed changes as a concerted push to weaken constitutional safeguards. Lawyer Tendai Biti said the proposals were “illegal and unconstitutional in that they infringe the term limit provision of the constitution,” and noted that they were being pursued “outside two referendums,” one to remove the term limit and another to allow the incumbent to benefit from it.

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Professor Lovemore Madhuku described the decision as “totally unacceptable” and warned of political instability if the changes proceed without broad public consent. Other critics including David Coltart have insisted that any amendment which effectively extends a sitting president’s tenure must be put to a national referendum, a step they argue is unlikely to be permitted. Busha urged Zimbabweans to unite against what he characterized as creeping authoritarianism and warned that allowing the amendment to pass could set a dangerous precedent for future governance.

“We will not stand idly by while our democracy is eroded,” he said, calling on all citizens to reject what he termed a blatant attempt to undermine the Constitution. International observers and survey data suggest that most Zimbabweans prefer direct elections and term limits, with a large majority supporting the existing constitutional arrangements that limit the president to two terms and protect competitive multiparty politics. The bill now moves to Parliament, where ZANU-PF’s dominant position gives it significant leverage.

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