By Correspondent
A joint parliamentary committee has recommended the adoption of most provisions contained in the proposed Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 3) Bill,2026.
This includes far-reaching changes that would reshape the country’s electoral and governance systems.
The report, presented today, follows nationwide public consultations conducted across all ten provinces.
The Committee reported to have received more than 540,000 written submissions, with 537,102 supporting the Bill and only 2,935 opposing it.
The consultations also attracted 54,231 participants, of whom 32,111 were women, 22,120 were men, and 2,485 were persons with disabilities, according to annexures accompanying the report.
Committee Backs CAB3
“The Joint Committee was in support of the Bill and urges the two Houses to consider the proposed recommendations,” the report states.
One of the most significant recommendations is the adoption of Clause 3, which proposes changing the election of the President from a direct popular vote to election by Parliament.
The committee argued that because Parliament already has the constitutional power to impeach a President, it should also have the authority to elect one.
“The Committee is convinced that adopting a legislative appointment model would significantly reduce the fiscal burden associated with direct presidential elections,” the report says.
Supporters of the proposal told Parliament that the change would reduce election-related costs, minimise political tensions and align Zimbabwe with systems used in countries such as South Africa and Botswana.
Contrary Views
However, opponents argued that removing direct presidential elections would undermine the principle of “one person, one vote” and weaken democratic participation.
Despite these concerns, the committee recommended the clause’s adoption.
The committee also endorsed proposals to extend presidential and parliamentary terms from five years to seven years.
According to the report, supporters argued that longer electoral cycles would reduce election expenses, limit political disruptions and provide governments with sufficient time to implement long-term development projects.
“The Committee observed that major developmental projects inherently require extended timelines to reach full implementation and completion,” the report states.
The committee went even further, noting that a ten-year term would be “ideal” for development, although it ultimately recommended the proposed seven-year cycle.
Critics warned that longer terms could weaken accountability and violate constitutional provisions preventing incumbents from benefiting from term extensions.
Major Recommendations
Another major recommendation is the transfer of voter registration and management of the voters’ roll from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to the Registrar-General’s Office.
Supporters argued that the Civil Registry Department is better positioned to maintain accurate voter records because it already manages birth, death and national identity records.
The committee acknowledged concerns raised by opponents and ZEC itself.
These include fears over institutional independence and the substantial investment already made in biometric voter registration systems.
Nevertheless, it concluded that the change would help address longstanding concerns about deceased persons remaining on the voters’ roll.
“The Committee recommends the adoption of Clause 2 to decisively address historical challenges where deceased individuals have remained on the voters’ roll,” the report says.
Rejected Clauses
In a notable departure from its support for most clauses, the committee rejected proposals to abolish the Zimbabwe Gender Commission and merge its functions into the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission.
Women’s organisations and gender advocates argued that dissolving the commission could weaken oversight of gender equality issues.
It could also undermine Zimbabwe’s obligations under international agreements such as CEDAW and the Beijing Declaration.
The report noted that the Gender Commission currently operates on just 0.02% to 0.04% of the national budget.
This challenged arguments that its abolition would result in meaningful savings.
“The Committee recommends that the Zimbabwe Gender Commission should remain in place and the clause should not be adopted,” the report states.
The committee also rejected a proposal that would have allowed traditional leaders to engage in political activities.
While many submissions supported granting chiefs and traditional leaders full political rights, the committee found the proposal conflicted with constitutional provisions requiring traditional leaders to remain impartial, particularly in their roles as judicial officers.
As a result, it recommended retaining the current constitutional restrictions.
Although the report portrays overwhelming public support for the Bill, several proposed amendments are expected to generate significant public debate.
Among the most contentious are plans to transfer key electoral functions away from ZEC, replace direct presidential elections with parliamentary elections, extend terms of office to seven years and increase presidential influence over judicial appointments.
The committee’s recommendations now pave the way for parliamentary consideration of a constitutional amendment package that could fundamentally alter Zimbabwe’s governance architecture for years to come.
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