HARARE – A Zimbabwean court on Monday granted bail to opposition leader Tendai Biti after a weekend in detention amid government efforts to enact constitutional changes that would extend the president’s term and shift the election process.
Tendai Biti Granted Bail
Biti, a former finance minister and lawyer who leads the Constitution Defenders Forum, was arrested on Saturday near the Mozambique border alongside activist Morgan Ncube.
Both were charged with convening a public meeting without proper notification to authorities.
The Harare magistrate’s court set bail at $500 for each man and ordered them to report to the police every two weeks, according to Biti’s lawyer, Chris Ndlovu.
Constitutional Changes and Rising Tensions
The political tensions in Zimbabwe are escalating due to proposed law changes supported by the ruling ZANU-PF party. These changes could allow President Emmerson Mnangagwa to remain in power beyond 2028.
Mnangagwa, 83, assumed office in 2017 after a military intervention led to the resignation of Robert Mugabe, who had ruled for nearly four decades. He was subsequently elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2023.
The current constitution limits presidents to two five-year terms.
The proposed amendments would alter the presidential election process, moving from a popular vote to a vote by parliament.
Critics of the changes have reported instances of torture, intimidation, and abduction allegedly carried out by suspected state agents.
ZANU-PF, which has been in power since Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980, faces accusations of failing to address economic challenges and persistent corruption.
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