President Emmerson Mnangagwa is expected to outline the legislative agenda for the Fourth Session of the 10th Parliament when he delivers the State of the Nation Address (SONA) at Parliament on Tuesday.
Mnangagwa is also expected to give an update the nation has made on progress made towards achieving national development aspirations.
The joint sitting of the National Assembly and Senate was gazetted by Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda in General Notice 1866 of 2026.
Another Contentious Session?
Tuesday’s address comes at the end of a historic and contentious Third Session.
Parliament passed seven Bills, the most consequential being the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 3) Act, 2026 (CAA3).
The Bill, which provides for the election of the President by Parliament, extends the term of office from 5 to 7 years.
It returns the compilation of the voters’ roll to the Registrar General and creates 10 additional senatorial seats.
It was passed with bipartisan support, 226 to 41 in the National Assembly and 75 to 4 in the Senate.
Other laws passed include the IATFCO Entities Hosting Amendment, Insurance and Pensions Commission Amendment, Medical Services Amendment, Tourism, Occupational Safety and Health and Climate Change Management Acts.
54 portfolio committee reports were tabled, with Parliament reporting a 100 percent submission rate by Ministries, Departments and Agencies under the Public Finance Management Act.
The Zimbabwe School Examinations Council Amendment Bill was returned by the President after he raised reservations on some clauses.
New Agenda
President Mnangagwa is now expected to outline how Government will align existing laws to CAA3.
This is a process that will require amendments to the Electoral Act and other governance legislation.
The Fourth Session is also expected to prioritize outstanding economic reforms.
These include the Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill and legislation governing financial markets, as well as measures to mitigate the anticipated Super El Nino.
He is also expected to report on progress under the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) as the country transitions to NDS2.
Other pressing issues include infrastructure projects, food security, and the climate resilience agenda that Parliament has begun to pursue through its newly launched Committee for the Future.
What SONA Is About
The State of the Nation Address is traditionally used to give the country a scorecard on development promises.
It also signal’s the Executive’s legislative priorities for the coming year.
With CAA3 now law, and a Constitutional Court challenge to it still pending after judgment was reserved last week, Tuesday’s speech will be closely watched for how the President frames the country’s governance direction and development path towards Vision 2030.
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