Former legislator Dubeko Sibanda challenges President Mnangagwa's term extension in Constitutional Court
via NewsDay Zimbabwe7 min read
Former CCC Member of Parliament Prince Dubeko Sibanda has filed an application with the Constitutional Court ConCourt to nullify recent constitutional amendments that would grant President Emmerson Mnangagwa a two-year term extension. Sibanda argues that the extension of the term of office for the President and legislators from five to seven years should not benefit current incumbents, citing section 3287 of the Constitution. This section prohibits the application of a term extension amendment to any person who held the relevant public office before the amendment. Sibanda's application names Parliament, the President of Zimbabwe, and the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs as respondents. He contends that section 5b of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Act No. 6 of 2026, which inserted section 952a into the Constitution, is inconsistent with section 3287 and therefore invalid. Sibanda previously attempted to challenge these provisions when they were still a Bill, but the application was struck off as the dispute had not yet crystallized. Now that the Bill has been enacted and promulgated as Act No. 6 of 2026, Sibanda asserts that the impugned clauses have assumed legislative form, and their constitutionality can now be measured against section 3287.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by NewsDay Zimbabwe.
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