Accountability Lab Zimbabwe (ALZ) will host a public meeting to unpack the proposed changes under Constitution Amendment Bill No. 3 of 2026, seeking to shift debate away from speculation and partisan narratives.
Held under the theme “Clause by Clause: Unpacking the Omnibus Bill – What Changes, What Doesn’t, and Why Zimbabweans Must Care,” the meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 19, from 17:30 to 19:30 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Harare.
The engagement follows Cabinet’s approval of the controversial omnibus bill on February 10 and its gazetting on February 16, developments widely seen as pivotal in Zimbabwe’s constitutional reform process. ALZ says the platform will provide factual, legal and historical analysis to enable citizens to form informed views on the proposed amendments.
Among the key proposals are a shift from direct presidential elections to a parliamentary vote and the extension of elected officials’ terms from five to seven years. Critics argue the changes could effectively extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s tenure to 2030, linking the bill to what has been termed the “2030 Agenda.”
ALZ Country Director Beloved Chiweshe said the meeting aims to create space for structured engagement on the substance, process and long-term institutional implications of the bill.
“Constitutional reform shapes the architecture of governance, checks and balances, and the rules through which public authority is exercised. It requires informed, technically grounded dialogue,” Chiweshe said.
The Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs has been invited to outline the rationale behind the amendments. Expected contributors include former COPAC chair Senator Douglas Mwonzora, constitutional law expert Lovemore Madhuku, advocate Fadzai Mahere, and election integrity specialist Barbra Bhebhe.
The omnibus structure of the bill — combining multiple constitutional changes into a single instrument — has raised legal and governance concerns, particularly regarding procedure and entrenched provisions.
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The meeting will be livestreamed to broaden participation beyond Harare, positioning the reform process as a national conversation with long-term implications.
