Online Reporter
Wallace Ruzvidzo
Herald Reporter
Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Amendment No. 3 Bill of 2026 is valid as nations must reflect on their governance practices to ensure they align with the best interests of their citizens, the European Union has said.
Newly accredited EU Ambassador to Zimbabwe Ms Katrin Hagemann told The Herald at her first Meet the Media engagement recently in Harare that there was no one-size-fits-all approach to governance, making it legitimate for Zimbabwe to reassess its structures.
“There are Presidential systems; there are parliamentary systems.
“Countries have different ways to govern themselves and it’s valid for a country to think about how one should be governed, whether five years is enough for a President, or it should be seven years, whether there should be term limits or not,” she said.
The proposed amendments include extending presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years, introducing a parliamentary system for electing the President and implementing various institutional changes aimed at streamlining governance structures and clarifying constitutional roles.
In addition, once enacted and attendant changes to the Electoral Act are made, Zimbabweans living abroad will also be able to vote in national elections.
The EU diplomat said the discussion surrounding Constitutional Amendment No. 3 Bill of 2026 invites a deeper exploration of how the Government can best serve its people.
She then referenced her own country, Germany, and its lack of term limits, highlighting how governance norms vary from one country to another.
“We have been often very strong in pushing term limits in Africa, I come from a country where there are no term limits. Angela Merkel (former Germany Chancellor) was around for a very long time . . . it’s a perfectly valid point to discuss,” said Ambassador Hagemann.
She said there was nothing amiss with the proposed constitutional amendments, while emphasising that the EU had no authority to influence changes in Zimbabwe.
The country’s opposition CCC has since thrown its full weight behind the proposed amendments, stating that they represent a step in the right direction towards ensuring the country’s economic growth and development.
Further, constitutional law experts have said Constitutional Amendment No. 3 Bill of 2026 represents a set of structural governance reforms aimed at enhancing political stability, improving institutional efficiency and creating a more predictable framework for long-term national development.
