• The 2026 Constitution Amendment Bill extends presidential/parliamentary terms to 7 years, shifts elections to Parliament, and increases Senate appointments
• Mnangagwa’s tenure features agricultural records (wheat 640k tonnes 2025, tobacco 352.7m kg), gold output at 46.7 tonnes, Hwange expansion (+600MW), and ZiG currency stabilizing inflation to single digits
• Persistent challenges include infrastructure quality issues, unemployment challenges, over-taxation of citizens and companies undermining gains

Harare- Following Cabinet approval on February 10, 2026, Zimbabwe's Speaker of the National Assembly, Jacob Mudenda, gazetted the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 3) Bill on February 16, initiating a mandatory 90-day public consultation period prior to parliamentary debate and a potential vote.

The proposed amendments represent significant structural changes, including extending presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years, shifting presidential elections to a parliamentary majority vote rather than direct popular suffrage, transferring voter registration responsibilities from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to the Registrar-General, and authorizing the president to appoint an additional 10 senators, thereby increasing the Senate's composition to 90 members.

Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi has framed these reforms as measures to enhance political stability, reduce electoral disruptions, and allow greater continuity for long-term national development initiatives. Proponents argue that shorter electoral cycles contribute to policy inconsistency and that alignment with seven-year terms in certain SADC member states could foster regional harmonization.

Nevertheless, the proposals have elicited strong opposition, with critics describing them as a "constitutional coup" that undermines democratic principles and entrenches ruling party dominance.

This constitutes the most substantial constitutional revision since the 2013 Constitution. If enacted, the term extension would permit President Emmerson Mnangagwa, aged 83 and serving his second term, to remain in office until 2030 without facing direct electoral scrutiny.

Constitutional scholar Professor Lovemore Madhuku, representing war veterans in an urgent Constitutional Court application, contends that the changes contravene Section 328(7), which prohibits amendments conferring benefits on an incumbent by prolonging tenure. Delegating voter registration to the Registrar-General has raised concerns regarding electoral impartiality, while expanded presidential appointments to the Senate could further concentrate executive influence.

Government representatives maintain that the amendments aim to minimize election-related instability and support sustained policy implementation. However, as the bill may be deemed non-fundamental, potentially obviating the need for a referendum, it could advance with a two-thirds parliamentary majority held by ZANU-PF.

Mnangagwa's tenure since assuming power in 2017 following the military-assisted transition from Robert Mugabe presents a complex legacy of achievements and persistent challenges.

In agriculture, targeted interventions have yielded notable gains. Wheat output reached a record 563,961 metric tonnes in 2024, followed by an even higher 639,942 tonnes in 2025, the highest since 1966 driven by initiatives such as Pfumvudza/Intwasa, which provided smallholder farmers with irrigation support and inputs.

Tobacco production surged to a historic 352.7 million kilograms in 2025, a 53% increase year-on-year, bolstering export revenues and food security. Maize harvests have similarly improved, contributing to enhanced domestic supply.

The mining sector has recorded successive highs, with gold production climbing to 35 tonnes in 2022, 36 tonnes in 2024, and a peak of 46.7 tonnes in 2025, generating revenues exceeding US$4 billion to 4.6 billion in 2025 alone and surpassing the long-standing target. Additional records in lithium, platinum group metals, coal, and emerging crops like blueberries underscore a broader export diversification effort.

Infrastructure development has been prioritized, encompassing dams such as Gwayi-Shangani for water security, rehabilitation of major highways including Harare-Beitbridge, airport upgrades, and border post modernization. Rural electrification has expanded, and urban road rehabilitation programs have addressed longstanding deficiencies.

A key energy milestone is the revival of Hwange Power Station, where Units 7 and 8 added 600 MW in 2023, elevating installed capacity beyond 1,500 MW and significantly reducing load-shedding. National electricity generation increased from approximately 8.5 billion kWh in 2017 to around 12 billion kWh by 2025, with ongoing refurbishments and a US$455 million agreement with Jindal projected to deliver further capacity additions of 400–920 MW from 2026 onward.

Monetary policy reforms have included the abandonment of the 49:51% indigenization requirement, the establishment of the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA) to streamline investor processes, the launch of the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange (VFEX), and advocacy for public-private partnerships.

The introduction of the Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) currency in 2024 has achieved notable stability, with inflation falling to single digits, reaching 4.1 percent in January 2026 for the first time since the late 1990s, though earlier devaluations (such as 43% in 2024) highlight residual vulnerabilities.

These accomplishments are tempered by substantial shortcomings. Infrastructure quality remains inconsistent, with premature deterioration evident in numerous projects. Many rehabilitated roads develop potholes within a year of completion in most areas in Harare,  like sections of the Domboshava Road resurfaced in 2025 already exhibit damage, contrasting with more durable work from 2016 by contractors such as Bitumen World.

Widespread issues include inadequate drainage systems, absent road signage (contributing to accidents and enforcement challenges), and unmarked one-way sections, reflecting deficiencies in quality assurance, contractor oversight, and post-construction maintenance. Persistent problems in procurement and supervision result in repeated expenditures on remedial work

Despite GDP growth of 6.6% in 2025 and projections of 5% in 2026, challenges persist. High unemployment, closure of companies, depletion of FDIs, ballooning debt remains a concern.

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