The Zimbabwean government has sharply criticised former Botswana president Ian Khama after he accused President Emmerson Mnangagwa of pursuing constitutional changes to prolong his stay in office.
Khama made the remarks on social media while commenting on Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 (CAB3), which recently cleared a major hurdle in Zimbabwe’s National Assembly.
The former Botswana leader argued that Zimbabwe had seen little meaningful change since the era of former Rhodesian prime minister Ian Smith.
“The only thing that has changed is the name of the country and the names of its leaders,” Khama wrote. “Oppressors come in all colours.”
His comments drew a swift response from government spokesperson Ndavaningi Mangwana, who dismissed Khama’s criticism.
“Who really cares about the opinions of some washed up has-been seeking relevancy as a remedy to self-inflicted loneliness?” Mangwana said.
Khama, who served as Botswana’s president from 2008 to 2018, has frequently criticised Zimbabwe’s leadership over governance, democracy and human rights issues.
In his latest comments, he accused Mnangagwa of attempting to remain in power through constitutional amendments.
“Here we go again. Another power hungry president has the constitution amended through rigging and cash inducements to extend his term of office,” Khama wrote.
He argued that Zimbabwe was joining a growing list of African countries where leaders have sought to remain in office for extended periods through constitutional changes.
Khama cited several long-serving African leaders, including Paul Biya, Yoweri Museveni and Paul Kagame.
He also alleged that political repression remained a feature of governance in some African countries, drawing comparisons with developments in Zimbabwe.
The criticism comes as Zimbabwe’s Parliament advances CAB3, one of the most controversial constitutional reform proposals in recent years.
Last week, the National Assembly approved the Bill by 216 votes to 42, comfortably surpassing the two-thirds majority required to amend the Constitution.
The legislation proposes extending presidential terms from five years to seven years and would allow Mnangagwa, who is currently expected to leave office at the end of his second term, to remain president until 2030 if the amendment is ultimately enacted.
Mnangagwa came to power following the military-assisted transition that removed former president Robert Mugabe from office in November 2017.
Supporters of the constitutional changes argue that longer terms would provide political stability, reduce the frequency and cost of elections and allow governments more time to implement development programmes.
Opponents, however, argue that the proposals undermine constitutional safeguards and should be subjected to a national referendum rather than being decided solely through Parliament.
The Bill also contains provisions that would replace direct presidential elections with a parliamentary voting system for selecting future presidents.
CAB3 now moves to the Senate, where it must secure another two-thirds majority before proceeding further in the constitutional amendment process.
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