HARARE — Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa signed constitutional amendments into law on July 7, 2026. The new laws abolish direct presidential elections, extend presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years, and postpone the next election until 2030.

Under the revised constitution, lawmakers will assume responsibility for choosing the president. The next general election, which was previously scheduled for 2028, will now take place two years later. Government spokesperson Nick Mangwana confirmed the bill had received presidential assent, stating on social media that it had been "signed, sealed and delivered."

Parliament approved these constitutional amendments in June 2026. The ruling ZANU-PF party supported the changes in Parliament, and some lawmakers from the opposition also backed the amendments. The Cabinet initially approved the constitutional amendment proposal in February 2026.

Mnangagwa has led Zimbabwe since 2017. He is 83 years old and had previously indicated a plan to step down when his second term was set to conclude in 2028. Supporters of the amendments argue that Parliament possessed the authority to pass these changes because the constitutional two-term limit for presidents remains unaffected.

Human rights lawyers, various civil society groups, opposition politicians, and some veterans of Zimbabwe's 1970s liberation war have criticized the amendments. Those opposing the changes contend that extending presidential terms should require approval through a national referendum. In recent months, Zimbabwean police have banned public meetings and have arrested some critics of the reforms. Zimbabwe's courts have not yet ruled on several legal challenges that aim to overturn the amendments.