Zimbabwe Arrests Key Opponents of Constitutional Changes

The detention of opposition figures Tendai Biti & Morgan Ncube underscores escalating political pressure in Zimbabwe as constitutional amendments tied to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s tenure advance through a ruling-party dominated system.

Biti, a former finance minister and convener of the Constitutional Defenders Forum (CDF), was detained on March 21, 2026 in Mutare alongside programs director Morgan Ncube. Both are charged under the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act (MOPA) for allegedly failing to notify police of a public meeting and are scheduled to appear in court on Monday.

Two others - journalist Fanuel Chinowaita and lawyer Nyasha Gerald Mukonyora - were detained and released without charge after several hours, according to Amnesty International.

The proposed constitutional changes would extend Mnangagwa’s rule beyond its current 2028 end date by two years, delay elections to 2030, and shift presidential selection from a popular vote to Parliament.

The reforms would also lengthen both presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years.

Cabinet approved the proposal in February, and it now awaits parliamentary passage where the ruling ZANU-PF holds a majority.

Critics, including Biti, argue that any extension of presidential terms requires a national referendum. Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi and government supporters maintain Parliament can approve the changes without one, citing the retention of a two-term limit despite extended term durations.

Amnesty International said the arrests reflect a broader pattern, stating it “strongly condemns the arbitrary arrest and detention” of Biti and others. The organization added that those detained were “peacefully exercising their constitutionally guaranteed rights,” calling for their immediate release.

The CDF described the arrests as politically motivated. In a statement dated March 22, 2026, it said “gun wielding police in Mutare arrested and illegally charged” its leaders and called the action “a calculated act to silence those opposed to the Constitutional Amendments.”

The arrests follow months of restrictions on opposition activity. Police have banned meetings and detained participants opposing the amendments. Amnesty International has described the trend as an “escalating crackdown on peaceful dissent.”

Earlier in March 2026, law professor Lovemore Madhuku was hospitalized after an assault he attributed to police following a banned meeting; authorities denied involvement.

In 2025, offices of the SAPES Trust think tank were set on fire ahead of a planned press conference on the amendments.

Mnangagwa, 83, came to power in 2017 after the removal of Robert Mugabe and was re-elected in a disputed 2023 vote amid allegations of repression. While he has said he will step down in 2028, he has not opposed his party’s push for extending his rule.