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THE enactment of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Act No. 3 of 2026 marks a significant milestone in the country’s constitutional and democratic development, with Government describing it as a reflection of the collective will of Zimbabweans and the strength of national institutions.
The amendment officially became law following President Mnangagwa’s assent to the Bill, paving the way for the implementation of a number of constitutional reforms.
Government has since announced plans to roll out a nationwide awareness campaign to educate citizens on the provisions of the new law and ensure that the public understands the changes introduced under the Act.
In a statement issued following the President’s assent, Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Dr Zhemu Soda said the constitutional amendment was the result of an inclusive process that involved citizens, Parliament and other stakeholders.
“CAB3 is not an achievement of any one individual, political party or institution. It is a collective milestone for all Zimbabweans who participated in shaping our constitutional future,” he said.
Minister Soda said the President’s assent to the Bill and its subsequent gazetting marked the beginning of a new constitutional dispensation founded on public participation, constitutionalism and democratic engagement.
He said the constitutional amendment process provided citizens with an opportunity to contribute their views through public consultations conducted by Parliament.
According to the minister, the public hearings demonstrated broad support for the constitutional reforms, with many citizens backing the proposed amendments.
“The process was not merely a legislative exercise; it was a national conversation between Parliament and citizens that reaffirms the strength of our democracy. Your voices have been heard. Your contributions have been valued,” said Minister Soda.
He commended Parliament for executing its constitutional responsibilities, noting that the Bill secured the required two-thirds majority in both the National Assembly and Senate before being transmitted to President Mnangagwa for assent.
Minister Soda said the strong support received during both the public consultation process and parliamentary debates reflected a national consensus on the need for constitutional reforms aimed at strengthening governance.
He said the amendments were designed to reinforce State institutions, promote policy continuity and create a more coherent governance framework, particularly through reforms to electoral processes and cycles.
“CAA3 is more than an amendment; it is a milestone representing our collective resolve to create a more coherent governance framework by addressing electoral cycles, strengthening our institutions and improving policy continuity,” he said.
Minister Soda urged Zimbabweans to embrace the new constitutional framework and continue playing their part in building a united and prosperous nation.
“CAA3 is not an end, it is a beginning. It is the foundation upon which we will build a brighter future for generations to come,” he said.
In a related development, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said Government would soon launch a public education and awareness campaign to familiarise citizens with the provisions of the newly enacted law.
Speaking in an interview, Minister Ziyambi said the focus would now shift from the legislative process to ensuring that the public understands the practical implications of the constitutional amendments.
“The Bill is now an Act of Parliament, and what we now need is to conscientise the generality of our people on the provisions of the Act, so that once it’s operationalised, people will be able to appreciate what is in the new constitutional provisions,” said Minister Ziyambi.
He said one of the key provisions of the Act is the establishment of a Delimitation Commission, which will assume responsibility for the demarcation of electoral boundaries, a role currently performed by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).
According to Minister Ziyambi, the new arrangement is intended to improve efficiency by separating delimitation functions from electoral administration.
“We then also had to create a delimitation commission that is separate from ZEC, to ensure that we accept specialised individuals who deal specifically with delimitation and allow the electoral board to deal with issues of elections alone,” said Minister Ziyambi.
“We believe that this allows the electoral board to be a specialised electoral organ that specialises in election issues only. And this is what we did and we believe that history has been made. We are very thankful to His Excellency for assenting to the Bill.”
The minister described the signing of the Act by President Mnangagwa as a landmark achievement in the country’s constitutional reform process.
“I think this is a milestone achievement that our Parliament did. You will recall that when we started this whole process, it started as a resolution of the party. And we had to do a lot of research to look at our Constitution, how we can ensure that the resolution is realised,” said Minister Ziyambi.
He said extensive research and consultations had been undertaken before the drafting of the constitutional amendment, with Government identifying areas of the 2013 Constitution that required review after more than a decade of implementation.
“When we did the research, we then came up with the areas that we felt that after more than 10 years with our constitution, the 2013 constitution, there were areas that we needed to reform and refine to ensure that our governance architecture is enhanced, to ensure that our developmental trajectory is maintained. So we then looked at our electoral cycle and we said, as a mature democracy, which we believe we are now, we needed a cycle that allows continuity.”
Minister Ziyambi said one of the motivations behind the reforms was the need to create an electoral cycle that supports long-term national development projects while reducing disruptions associated with frequent election periods.
Under the new law, the terms of office for the President, Members of Parliament and councillors will be extended from five years to seven years.
“We needed a cycle that allows long-term projects to be realised, at the same time ensuring that we reduce that electoral toxicity that had bedevilled us. So we came up with the Bill, CAB3, that included all those clauses, then to deal with the electoral cycle, to deal with reducing toxicity surrounding the electoral cycle, to deal with the manner in which we elect our president,” said Minister Ziyambi.
President Mnangagwa signed the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Act No. 3 on Tuesday, bringing to completion a constitutional reform process whose origins trace back to resolutions adopted at the Zanu PF National People’s Annual Conference held in Bulawayo in 2024.
