The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Senate has adopted a bill to change the constitution which could open the door to a third term in office for President Felix Tshisekedi, days after a protest against the bill turned violent in the capital Kinshasa.
The bill paves the way for a referendum on a new constitution that would allow Tshisekedi — who is currently serving his second and final term — to serve a third term as if it were his first.
Eighty-nine senators took part in the vote on Monday and all voted in favour of adopting the bill.
Meanwhile, in neighbouring Zimbabwe President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa is also fighting teeth and nails to extend his term of office to beyond 2030.
According, to the current Zimbabwean constitution, Mnangagwa is supposed to step down at the end of his second term in 2028.
Mnangagwa doesn’t want a referendum, however there is a serious pushback by his deputy Constantine Chiwenga, who is believed to be the next in line.
The bill was approved by Cabinet on 10 February 2026 and gazetted on 16 February 2026 by Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda.
The Bill proposes changes to how the President is elected, the length of presidential and parliamentary terms, the structure of several state institutions, and the appointment of judges, among other provisions.
The Bill has generated significant public debate and legal challenges.
Critics have described it as an attempt to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s tenure beyond 2028, while the government has said the proposed changes are aimed at strengthening institutions and aligning Zimbabwe with contemporary African constitutional standards.
The Bill drew more than half a million public submissions during a 90-day consultation period. Parliament said the great majority of these submissions were in favour of the Bill, a result that opposition groups disputed.
It was the subject of pending Constitutional Court challenges. On 2 June 2026, Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi formally tabled the Bill in the National Assembly for its First Reading.