: as Bill enters second reading this afternoon (Wednesday)

Harare — Zanu PF Chief Whip Pupurai Togarepi has said there is no fixed timeline for the debate on the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment No. 3 Bill (CAB 3), as every member of parliament will be allowed to contribute.

He said this shortly after the Bill was read for the first time in the National Assembly by Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with ZimCitizen, Togarepi said the House would proceed to the second reading tomorrow, where legislators will be given time to debate any changes they want to see in the Bill. He said this would be followed by a general discussion, after which the Bill will move to the committee stage.

“We are expecting robust debate,” Togarepi said. “Whatever views come, the Minister of Justice has the task of considering each and every submission, whether to add or subtract.”

The Bill, which was gazetted on 16 February 2026, underwent 90 days of public consultations before its first reading yesterday.

It proposes sweeping constitutional changes, including extending the President’s term of office from five to seven years, and scrapping the direct election of the President in favour of selection by Parliament.

The Bill also seeks to extend the tenure of MPs and local authority councillors from five to seven years, a move critics say would benefit incumbents, and would transfer voter registration functions from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to the Registrar-General’s office.

Togarepi’s remarks come amid growing resistance to the Bill. Retired senior military commanders, including former Air Marshal Henry Muchena, have publicly opposed the amendments, claiming President Emmerson Mnangagwa brushed aside their concerns at two meetings in May.

Meanwhile, voters from more than 60 constituencies have filed court applications seeking to compel the government to subject the proposed amendments to a national referendum rather than a parliamentary vote.

Opposition political parties, civil society organisations and the Law Society of Zimbabwe have also called for a referendum on key clauses, arguing that term-limit extensions cannot apply to sitting officeholders without direct public approval.

The Bill requires a two-thirds majority in both the National Assembly and the Senate before it can be sent to President Mnangagwa for assent.