Zimbabwe's National Assembly voted 216-42 to approve constitutional amendments extending presidential terms from five to seven years, Bloomberg reported on June 18. Once enacted, the constitutional changes will immediately extend the end of President Emmerson Mnangagwa's current term from 2028 to 2030.

In an address to a church gathering on April 25, Chiwenga invoked the story of King Hezekiah, a biblical figure who was granted an additional 15 years of life that eventually resulted in the downfall of his kingdom, noting that "extra years are not always a blessing." Although Chiwenga did not directly name Mnangagwa, the reference has been widely seen as criticism of the proposed constitutional reforms.