Zim gazettes Amendment Bill No. 3 to extend Mnangagwa's term

A freshly gazetted amendment bill just set up a 90-day showdown that could stretch presidential terms and rewire how Zimbabwe picks its leaders.

Gazetting of Amendment No. 3 Bill

• The government published the Constitutional Amendment No. 3 Bill on 16 February 2026.
• The proposal would let President Emmerson Mnangagwa prolong his current term.
• Changes also target how national leaders get chosen.
• Parliament opens a 90-day window for public debate.

Shift in voter roll control

• Clause 2 moves voter registration to the Registrar General.
• Zimbabwe Electoral Commission loses custody of the voters' roll.
• Rationale claims administrative efficiency under the Registrar General.
• Standing Rules and Orders will guide parliamentary procedures.

Presidential election and term changes

• Clause 3 introduces a parliamentary route for selecting the President.
• A majority vote is required, with a runoff if needed.
• Clauses 4, 9, and 10 stretch terms from five to seven years.
• The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission oversees the election process.

Senate expansion and a new commission

• Clause 8 lets the President appoint ten additional senators.
• Total Senate seats would rise to ninety.
• Clause 11 creates a Zimbabwe Electoral Delimitation Commission.
• Clauses 12 and 13 replace Zimbabwe Electoral Commission references.

Courts, commissions, and appointments

• Clause 14 widens the Constitutional Court's jurisdiction to new public laws.
• Clause 18 scraps the Zimbabwe Gender Commission.
• Functions shift to the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission.
• Clause 22 dissolves the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission.