Rebuilding Foundations, Caring for People

The ZANU PF government’s Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Bill (No 3) proposes that the President will no longer be elected by the people of Zimbabwe but instead be chosen by the members of parliament. It proposes that the Presidential term of office will be extended from 5 to 7 years and that extension will apply to both the current President and to all the Members of Parliament. [However], Zimbabwe finally woke up this week. Voices were raised, meetings were held and Press Conferences convened. Zimbabwe has just 90 days to stop this coup on our Constitution. Dark days lie ahead.

In his address at the 18th Geneva Summit for Human Rights & Democracy on 18 February 2026, Zimbabwean journalist Blessed Mhlanga said he was held in pre-trial detention for 73 days, charged with incitement to public violence after covering press conferences by outspoken war veteran Blessed Geza who had called for President Mnangagwa’s resignation. Mhlanga described the new face of repression in Zimbabwe as “lawfare” and cautioned that the worst is yet to come. “Zimbabwe has not become any more democratic, it has just become more sophisticated in its oppression.”

The latest Human Rights Watch World Report for 2025 stated that the Zimbabwean government had continued its crackdown on dissent. It noted that the authorities had intimidated, harassed, threatened, and arbitrarily arrested journalists, political opposition members, and civil society activists. It had also intensified restrictions on civic space and freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly, including through legislation, notably the Private Voluntary Organizations Amendment Act. It expressed concern that the SAPES Trust offices had been destroyed in a suspected arson attack.