In Zimbabwe, the announcement of constitutional reforms aimed at extending the term of President Emmerson Mnangagwa is causing a heated controversy.
The cabinet recently approved amendments that could allow the 83-year-old president to remain in power until 2030.
The text notably proposes extending the presidential term from five to seven years and entrusting the election of the president to Parliament rather than direct universal suffrage. The opposition argues that these changes undermine the 2013 Constitution, which limits the president to two terms.
Lawyer and former minister Tendai Biti denounces these amendments as "illegal and unconstitutional" and reiterates that any modification to term limits should be subject to a national referendum. "Zimbabweans have the right to put pressure on the government and to take legal action," he adds.
In the streets, citizens are also expressing their concerns. Augustine Kaswaurere believes that "a president should not govern for long. It is not normal for a president to remain in office for 40 years when we are in a crisis."
Mnangagwa, who came to power in 2017 after the fall of Robert Mugabe, defends his "2030 program", presented as a means of ensuring political stability and continuity of public policies.
But in a country plagued by inflation, unemployment and accusations of corruption, the protests could intensify if the project is adopted without a referendum, raising fears of further political tensions.
