Zim Breaking News : Zimbabwe’s National Assembly has passed Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 with 216 votes in favour and 42 against, clearing the first major hurdle toward extending President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term, with the ruling ZANU-PF party providing 181 votes and 35 opposition MPs crossing the floor to support the bill, while the remaining 42 opposition legislators voted no, giving the ruling party the required two-thirds majority to advance the legislation to the Senate, where it is expected to pass given ZANU-PF’s strong majority, before heading to the President for final assent into law.
The ruling ZANU-PF party provided 181 votes, with 35 opposition MPs crossing the floor to support the bill, giving the ruling party the required two-thirds majority to advance the legislation to the Senate .
The bill proposes sweeping constitutional changes, including extending presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years, scrapping direct presidential elections in favour of a parliamentary vote, and transferring voter roll management from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to the Registrar-General’s office .
Parliamentary proceedings have been marked by intense clashes. Opposition MP Caston Matewu was ejected from the National Assembly after refusing to stop debating, triggering chaotic scenes . Another opposition legislator, Edwin Mushoriwa, attempted to “k!ll” the bill by proposing the deletion of Clause 1, sparking fierce resistance from ruling party lawmakers .
The bill’s path has been cleared by the Constitutional Court, which recently dismissed two legal challenges seeking to stop its progress . War veterans and former legislator Prince Dubeko Sibanda had argued that President Mnangagwa acted unlawfully by chairing Cabinet deliberations on amendments he would personally benefit from. The court ruled that the applications were “fatally defective” and not properly before it .
The most contentious legal dispute concerns whether the bill requires a national referendum. Attorney-General Virginia Mabhiza insists that no referendum is needed, arguing that the amendments do not trigger Section 328(6) of the constitution . However, constitutional lawyer Professor Lovemore Madhuku contends that Section 328(7) mandates a referendum for any amendment changing “term limit provisions” that extend how long a person may hold office .
Opposition MDC leader Douglas Mwonzora has urged opposition senators to block the bill, arguing that ZANU-PF lacks the required two-thirds majority in the Upper House .
If approved by the Senate, the bill will head to President Mnangagwa for final assent, marking one of the most consequential constitutional changes in Zimbabwe’s recent history.
