Zimbabwe's Constitutional Court has reserved judgment in two landmark cases challenging the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Bill Number 3, which proposes extending the terms of office for the president, parliament, and local authorities from five to seven years. War veterans filed one of the challenges in February, arguing that President Emerson Mnangagwa acted unlawfully by chairing the cabinet deliberations that approved the bill. Their central argument is that Mnangagwa had a direct conflict of interest, as he stands to benefit personally from the extension of presidential terms. If the bill is enacted, Zimbabwe's next elections would be pushed from 2028 to 2030, effectively adding two years to what is constitutionally Mnangagwa's final term in office.
A separate challenge was brought by a former member of parliament who argued that the legislature should not have facilitated debate on a bill that clearly contravenes the constitutional provisions on term limits. The court was weighing whether it should wait for parliament to complete the legislative process before ruling, or whether the constitutional concerns are serious enough to warrant immediate intervention. There were strong indications that the court agrees the bill contravenes Section 328, Subsection 7 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, which protects fundamental provisions including presidential term limits from being altered through ordinary amendment procedures.
In South Africa, acting Police Minister Professor Feroz Kachalia delivered his budget vote speech in parliament and took a firm stance against corruption within the South African Police Service. Kachalia demanded that any SAPS members facing serious criminal charges must be immediately removed from operational duties. Going further, he called for mandatory dismissal of officers convicted of dishonesty, corruption, or violent crimes including rape. The minister's remarks come amid mounting allegations of corruption and procurement irregularities within the police service, with SAPS leadership now reviewing its disciplinary regulations to improve their effectiveness in holding officers accountable.
Opposition parties in the South African parliament were also critical during the budget vote, questioning the conduct and resource management of the police service. The debate highlighted persistent concerns over whether SAPS has the institutional capacity and political will to root out corruption from within its own ranks. Taken together, the developments in both Zimbabwe and South Africa underscore the ongoing governance challenges across the region, from attempts to manipulate constitutional frameworks for political advantage to the struggle to maintain integrity within law enforcement institutions.
This article was produced by AVALW News on Wednesday, May 21, 2026 based on reporting from 1 verified news source. Our editorial process cross-references facts from multiple independent outlets to deliver accurate, comprehensive coverage. All original sources are linked below.