The Associated Press reported from Harare that the Senate approved the amendments on Wednesday by 75 votes to four, after the lower house had already backed the bill. Al Jazeera, citing AFP and Reuters, reported the same vote count and said the measure now needs President Emmerson Mnangagwa's signature to become law.
The bill text shows why this is more than a succession story. Clause 3 would repeal and replace section 92 of the constitution so the president is elected by members of Parliament in a joint sitting of the Senate and National Assembly. A candidate would need more than half of valid votes cast by lawmakers; if no candidate secured that majority, the top two would go to a run-off ballot.
Table: Selected changes in Zimbabwe's Constitution Amendment Bill No. 3
| Area | Current structure described in the bill | Proposed change |
|---|---|---|
| Presidential election | Direct election framework under section 92 | Election by MPs in a joint sitting of Parliament |
| Term length | Five-year terms for president and Parliament | Seven-year terms under amended sections 95, 143 and 158 |
| Senate size | Eighty senators | Ninety senators, including ten appointed by the president |
| Voter rolls | Electoral functions held by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission | Voter registration and rolls moved to the Registrar-General |
| Delimitation | Electoral boundary functions linked to ZEC | New Zimbabwe Electoral Delimitation Commission |
Source: Parliament of Zimbabwe, Constitution Amendment Bill No. 3, 2026.
The bill's memorandum presents the package as institutional streamlining. It says longer terms would reduce what it calls election-mode toxicity and allow more time for project implementation. It also says moving voter registration to the Registrar-General would improve efficiency, and creating a separate delimitation commission would address concerns about the electoral commission's dual role in managing elections and drawing boundaries.
Those are the government's stated rationales. They do not answer the central democratic objection: a constitution that currently gives citizens a direct presidential vote would instead route the decision through Parliament, where ZANU-PF holds a strong majority. AP reported that human rights lawyers, activists and some opposition figures argue that extending presidential terms requires a referendum, while Mnangagwa's supporters say Parliament can enact the changes because the two-term limit would remain.