Some Zimbabweans have questioned the government’s argument that extending the terms of the president and Parliament by two years will allow key development projects to be completed, saying the ruling Zanu-PF has had more than four decades in power without delivering meaningful improvements in public services or the economy.
Human rights lawyer Doug Coltart has described the recent constitutional amendment as both “illegitimate” and “illegal”, arguing that the process leading to its enactment was fundamentally flawed and failed to meet constitutional requirements.