Online Reporter
Raymond Jaravaza, Patrick Chitumba, Sunday News Reporters
SUPPORT for the Constitution of Zimbabwe (Amendment No. 3) Bill, 2026 is gaining momentum across the country, with villagers from Matabeleland South and the Midlands Provinces throwing their weight behind the bill, hailing President Mnangagwa’s progressive leadership, saying it has transformed their lives.
The Bill proposes a parliamentary process for the election of the President and seeks to replace the current five-year term with a seven-year tenure.
It also introduces a raft of legal reforms aimed at strengthening constitutional governance, clarifying institutional roles, promoting political stability and enhancing the efficiency of the State architecture.
In the Midlands, support for the Constitutional Amendment Number 3 Bill is growing with traditional leaders endorsing the proposed changes ahead of nationwide public consultations aimed at giving citizens an opportunity to present their views, set to begin tomorrow.
Chiefs from Midlands Province on Friday reached a unanimous position during an engagement with the Minister of State for Midlands Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Owen Ncube, held at the Government Complex in Gweru, backing the Bill as a pathway to stability and sustained development.
Midlands Provincial Chiefs’ Council Chairperson, Chief Ngungumbane, said chiefs from the province were fully in support of the proposed amendments, saying there is a need for leadership stability to ensure continuity of development programmes.
Chief Ngungubane added that traditional leaders noted that frequent political contestation disrupts progress at community level, while citizens continue to demand tangible improvements in livelihoods.
“Chiefs from the Midlands province are fully in support of the proposed amendments. We believe there is a need for leadership stability to ensure continuity of development programmes,” he said.
The amendments Chief Ngungumbane reiterated address challenges affecting development, including what he described as “perpetual election mode”.
The endorsement was seconded by Chief Ntabeni without objection.
He said traditional leaders in the Midlands Province have spoken with one voice.
“Chiefs from across the province have unanimously endorsed the Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3, reaffirming their commitment to national development, stability, and the vision being championed by President Mnangagwa,” he said.
Addressing the same gathering, the Minister of State said the Bill seeks to extend the terms of the President, Parliament and local authorities, while enhancing the role of traditional leaders in governance.
“Be very vigilant of enemies of progress who are bent on undermining the country’s progress through taking aim at the bill,” he said.
Minister Ncube said the united stance by the Midlands chiefs reflects growing support for the Bill among community leaders who play a crucial role in guiding and representing the voices of the people.
“Your endorsement signals confidence in the proposed constitutional changes and the country’s development trajectory,” he said.
Meanwhile, hundreds of villagers participated in a march in Gqalaza, in rural Gwanda, that was organised by Cde Lungisani Costa Ncube from Zanu-PF to educate them on the benefits of the bill.
Cde Ncube described the Bill as a significant recalibration of Zimbabwe’s democratic framework that aligns the nation with practices adopted by the world’s most progressive states.
Notably, Cde Ncube said, President Mnangagwa must be given another two years until 2030 to finish all the major projects that were initiated by his administration.
“Just take around all the road rehabilitation projects that the Government has embarked on in Matabeleland South Province. The President is spreading development to all corners of the country, so we must back the Constitution of Zimbabwe, Amendment No. 3 Bill, so that he can finish all those projects,” he said Cde Ncube.
His sentiments were echoed by local villagers who praised the leadership of the President to afford the province to host independence, which has brought in development and employment.“The Bill is a welcome development as it is already seen. There are developments which are underway. This movement will allow the President to finish all the projects he has started,” said Mr Melusi Fazo.
In Matabeleland North Province stakeholders across local authorities, legal circles and the tourism sector described the proposed amendments guarantee policy consistency needed to sustain unprecedented growth in mining, infrastructure and empowerment programmes.
With major investments filtering through the mining value chain and ongoing road upgrades transforming the province’s landscape, residents and leaders say they are determined to protect the momentum.
“This Bill is about protecting our growth trajectory. We have momentum, and this amendment ensures the development wave continues without disruption,” Hwange Local Board chairperson, Councillor Peterson Ncube, said.
For Matabeleland North, the constitutional reforms come at a time of significant economic transformation.
With major investments unlocking the full potential of the mining value chain from extraction to beneficiation and road upgrades linking the province to regional markets, stakeholders say the legal framework must evolve to keep pace.
Tourism expert Dr Clement Mukwasi explained that the reforms adjust the system of electing the President and the national election cycle without altering the fundamental structure of Government.
“These changes are strategic, forward-looking, and patriotic. By aligning with best practices in the SADC region and the Commonwealth, the reforms promote institutional maturity and enduring stability,” he said.
Tourism players also said policy consistency is essential for attracting long-term investment required to develop the province’s natural assets, including Hwange National Park and Victoria Falls.
Legal practitioner Mr Tonderai Mutasa described the Bill as a decisive step in Zimbabwe’s constitutional evolution, saying it delivers transformational reforms that strengthen constitutional governance and revitalise democratic institutions.
“This landmark Bill modernises and streamlines our constitutional architecture while faithfully upholding the enduring values of the 2013 Constitution,” he said.
He noted that the Bill positions Zimbabwe among Africa’s most effective, resilient and widely respected constitutional systems.
