Zimbabwe's Constitution Amendment Bill 3 faces civil‑society, legal and bishops’ opposition

The Election Resource Centre warned that the proposed Constitution Amendment Bill No. 3 (CAB3) could breach the principle of “one person, one vote” if constituency boundaries are drawn unevenly. Under CAB3, Parliament would elect the President, making delimitation critical and risking vote dilution.

Attorney General Virginia Mabhiza insisted that the constitution does not require a referendum for the bill, citing section 328(6). Constitutional lawyers and opposition parties disagree, arguing that the amendment’s extension of presidential terms from five to seven years – allowing President Emmerson Mnangagwa to stay in office until 2030 – triggers the referendum requirement in section 328(7).

The Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference has called on parliament to reject the entire bill, saying it erodes democratic safeguards, weakens institutional independence and undermines the sovereign will of the people. Critics also note that the bill would let MPs extend their own terms, replace automatic vice‑presidential succession with a parliamentary vote, and relax restrictions on traditional chiefs participating in politics.