Just In: Zimbabwe Church Coalition Backs Constitutional Amendment Bill

Source: 263chat.com

A major coalition of Zimbabwean churches has thrown its weight behind the proposed Constitution of Zimbabwe (Amendment No. 3) Bill, 2026, arguing that the changes are necessary to preserve political stability, advance national development goals and strengthen governance structures. In a detailed 11-page submission delivered to Parliament on Friday, the Zimbabwe Indigenous Interdenominational Council of Churches (ZIICC) said it was offering its “full and unconditional support” for the proposed constitutional changes. The submission was signed by ZIICC patron Bishop Dr Nehemiah Mutendi and chairman Rev.

Dr Andrew Wutawunashe before being formally presented to the Clerk of Parliament on May 16. The council, which says it represents indigenous apostolic, Pentecostal, evangelical and other church denominations with a combined membership of more than 8.7 million Zimbabweans, framed its support in both constitutional and spiritual terms. “We come as pastors, as prophets, and as elders of the faith,” the submission reads. “We have prayed over this Bill. We have listened to our congregations.

And we are satisfied that what Parliament is being asked to do serves the best interests of the nation.” The proposed Amendment No. 3 Bill has already sparked intense national debate, with critics warning that some of its provisions could fundamentally reshape Zimbabwe’s democratic system and weaken constitutional safeguards. Among the most contentious proposals is the extension of presidential and parliamentary terms from five years to seven years. The churches argued that longer terms would provide governments with enough time to implement large-scale national development programmes such as Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy.

The ZIICC submission said Zimbabwe’s development agenda had been repeatedly disrupted by political instability and external shocks, including the January 2019 unrest and the Covid-19 pandemic. “The nation must finish what it has started,” the council wrote, describing the proposed seven-year cycle as “the governance space required to plan, absorb disruption, recover, and complete programmes.” In a striking blend of constitutional argument and religious symbolism, the churches also linked the seven-year term proposal to biblical teachings on the Sabbath year, saying the principle represented “restoration, renewal, and completion.” The church coalition further defended proposals to replace direct presidential elections with a parliamentary system in which the President would be elected by members of Parliament sitting jointly. The current presidential election system, the churches argued, had repeatedly fuelled political tension and social divisions. “Every presidential election cycle since 1990 has brought with it a season of heightened tension, of communities divided, of families separated along political lines,” the submission stated. The council said a parliamentary election model would reduce the “winner-takes-all” nature of presidential contests while maintaining democratic legitimacy through elected representatives.

The submission also backed several institutional reforms contained in the Bill, including transferring voter registration responsibilities to the Registrar-General’s office, creating a dedicated Electoral Delimitation Commission, expanding the Constitutional Court’s jurisdiction, and altering judicial appointment procedures. ZIICC additionally supported the removal of constitutional restrictions on the political activities of traditional leaders, arguing that chiefs and other traditional authorities should enjoy the same political freedoms as ordinary citizens. The churches described traditional leaders as “living custodians of the sovereignty of their people” whose influence in rural communities extends far beyond ceremonial duties.

Another controversial provision endorsed by the church coalition is the repeal of constitutional provisions establishing the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC), whose original constitutional mandate expired in August 2023. Rather than viewing the repeal as an abandonment of reconciliation efforts, the churches argued that healing and reconciliation should be embedded within communities, churches and traditional institutions instead of relying solely on a government commission. Throughout the submission, the ZIICC repeatedly defended Parliament’s authority to amend the Constitution, insisting that lawmakers were acting within powers granted to them by voters and the Constitution itself.

The council also rejected calls for the withdrawal of the Bill or for a referendum, arguing that Parliament had already fulfilled constitutional public consultation requirements through nationwide hearings and written submissions. At the centre of the debate is the interpretation of constitutional term-limit provisions and whether some of the proposed amendments can legally benefit current office holders without triggering a national referendum. The churches said those questions should ultimately be settled by the Constitutional Court rather than civil society groups or religious organisations.

The intervention by one of Zimbabwe’s largest indigenous church groupings is likely to deepen an already polarised national debate over the future of the country’s constitutional order, governance model and democratic institutions. The post Just In: Zimbabwe Church Coalition Backs Constitutional Amendment Bill appeared first on 263Chat .

Related topics: Constitutional Amendment, Zimbabwe, Church Coalition, Parliament, Governance, Political Stability, Amendment No. 3 Bill

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