Zimbabwe Council of Churches urges referendum on disputed constitutional amendment

The Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC) has renewed its call for a national referendum on Constitution Amendment Act No. 3 (CAA3), which was signed into law by President Emmerson Mnangagwa on 7 July 2026. The council says the amendment, which changes presidential and parliamentary terms, succession rules and term‑limit safeguards, has deepened national division and failed to resolve the constitutional dispute.

In its pastoral letter the ZCC stressed that “the signing of CAA3 into law has not brought the contestation into finality. Instead, CAA3 has deepened national polarisation.” It rejected claims that constitutional advocacy amounts to hostility toward the state, urged respect for ongoing court challenges, and called on citizens to demonstrate peacefully while law‑enforcement act proportionately.

The ZCC maintains that a referendum would provide a “expression of confidence in the people” and help restore public trust, peace and the sovereignty of the Constitution.