Overview
- The National Assembly approved the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 3) Bill with 216 votes for and 42 against, a result Speaker Jacob Mudenda said met the two‑thirds threshold required in the House.
- CAB3 retains core changes that would replace direct presidential elections with a parliamentary vote, lengthen the national electoral cycle from five to seven years, and include provisions that could extend current mandates beyond 2028.
- Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said Parliament received 540,037 public submissions that overwhelmingly supported the bill and that a record 182 MPs participated in debate, with 139 expressing support or qualified support.
- The government withdrew proposed amendments on the Zimbabwe Gender Commission, traditional chiefs and the defence forces after heavy contestation, but left the central and most disputed measures intact.
- If the Senate also approves CAB3 by a two‑thirds majority the bill will be sent to the president for assent, a change that critics say would reduce direct voter control over the presidency and could strengthen incumbency while supporters argue it will reduce election‑related paralysis.