01
Executive
Presidential Election by Parliament
Replaces the direct popular vote with a joint sitting of Parliament electing the President of the Republic.
Constitution Amendment Bill No. 3
Reshaping Zimbabwe's electoral order.
The Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 3) Bill, 2026 proposes the most consequential changes to the country's electoral and governance frameworks since the 2013 Constitution — extending terms, restructuring the presidential vote, and reorganising key independent commissions.
Tabled · 2026 SessionUpdates4ED · Editorial Desk27 May 2026
“
Amendment No. 3 is a structural recalibration of the Republic — extending the electoral cycle, refounding the presidential vote, and resetting the architecture of our independent institutions.
EC
Editorial Council
Updates4ED · Legislative Brief
01
7-Year Cycle
Electoral cycle for President, Parliament and local authorities extended from five to seven years.
02
Joint Sitting
Presidential election transferred from popular vote to a joint sitting of the National Assembly and Senate.
03
Institutional Reform
New Electoral Delimitation Commission, enlarged Senate, and a restructured electoral administration.
Detailed provisions
What the Bill proposes
02
Tenure
Term limits extended from 5 to 7 years
Terms for the President, Members of Parliament and local authority councillors extended — delaying the next general election from 2028 to 2030.
03
Elections
Voters' roll moves to the Registrar-General
Management of the voters' roll transfers from ZEC to the Registrar-General's office, with a new Electoral Delimitation Commission established.
04
Legislature
Senate enlarged with 10 presidential appointees
The President gains the power to appoint an additional 10 senators on the basis of professional skills and expertise.
05
Judiciary
Public interviews for judges removed
Public interviews for judicial appointments scrapped; the obligation to act on the Judicial Service Commission's advice in promotions is repealed.
06
Institutions
Repeal of Gender & Peace Commissions
The bill seeks to repeal the Zimbabwe Gender Commission and the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission.
Public consultations
Hearings concluded. Awaiting Parliament.
Public consultations and hearings on the Bill have recently been concluded across the provinces. The document is now pending further legislative processes in Parliament, with civic, faith and professional bodies submitting formal positions on each clause.
The full draft, accompanying schedules and independent analysis are available via Veritas Zimbabwe and the legislative tracker on the Parliament of Zimbabwe portal.
Status · Pending second reading