Harare – Zimbabwe Senate on Wednesday passed the controversial constitutional amendment number 3 bill that will extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term by two years from 2028 to 2030.
The voting results are 75 Senators voted for the bill to be passed while four Senators opposed the bill.
Ziyambi Ziyambi, the Minister of Justice said the bill was passed in the Senate with minor amendments.
He said the bill will go back to the lower house, the National Assembly for a vote on the minor amendments.
If the National Assembly which passed the bill last week again vote in the majority to the minor adjustments, the bill will be taken to Mnangagwa who is expected to pass it into law.
The controversial bill has divided Zimbabweans with the opposition parties, civic society, law society , Catholic Church and retired army generals having voiced their concerns against the bill.
The listed groups wanted the country to put the amendments to a referendum.
However, close Mnangagwa associates within the ruling ZANU PF party pressed ahead with the parliamentary process despite the concerns by the majority of the ordinary people.
Mnangagwa was expected to end his current term in 2028 which has closed him out to rule beyond the 10 years that is mandated by the current constitution.
The ‘crocodile’ as Mnangagwa is known in political circles managed to push for his term extension using his party.
Divisions are in ZANU PF with loyalists to Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, against Mnangagwa’s term extension.
Chiwenga after the bill is signed into law will come out weakened. He had been referred as the first vice president in the current constitutional set up but when the amendments are approved the two vice presidents will be equal.
As Zimbabwe moves towards the approval of the amendments, people who wanted the current amendments to be put to a referendum are disturbed by the approval of the bill in parliament.
Zimbabwe Senate passes bill that is to extend Mnangagwa’s term by two years
