HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe lawmakers voted on Thursday for constitutional changes that would defer elections and extend the tenure of the country’s 83-year-old president. from five to seven years.The vote underscores the staying power of Africa’s aging leaders on a continent that has some of the world’s oldest rulers despite boasting the youngest population globally.Zimbabwe’s National Assembly overwhelmingly approved constitutional amendments that would postpone elections due in 2028 to 2030 and extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term by two years.The bill, which also proposes shifting presidential elections from direct popular vote to selection by lawmakers, has to be approved by the Senate, where it is also expected to pass.If the bill is passed, Mnangagwa would join a club that includes some of the world’s oldest and longest-serving leaders in Africa. He came to power in 2017 after the military-led ouster of the late Robert Mugabe, who at 93 was then the world’s oldest head of state.
Recent analysis by the Pew Research Center showed that 16 of the world’s 186 national leaders are older than U.S. President Donald Trump, who turned 80 last week. Seven of the 10 oldest leaders are in Africa, according to the analysis, even though the continent has a median age of about 20 and more than 60% of its population is under 30, according to the United Nations.
