Story by Bruce Chahwanda, Political Editor
PRESIDENT Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s assent to the Constitutional Amendment Act No. 3 has ushered in a new phase of governance reforms, with the Government describing the legislation as a milestone that reinforces Zimbabwe’s democratic institutions and modernises the country’s constitutional framework.
Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Honourable Ziyambi Ziyambi said the reforms followed a comprehensive review of the 2013 Constitution after more than a decade of implementation to identify areas requiring refinement.
“When we started this whole process, it started as a resolution of the party. We had to do a lot of research to look at our Constitution and how we could ensure that the resolution was realised. After more than 10 years with our Constitution, there were areas that we felt needed reform and refinement to ensure that our governance architecture is enhanced and our developmental trajectory is maintained,” he said.
Honourable Ziyambi said the amendments also respond to concerns surrounding the country’s electoral cycle, arguing that longer governance periods create greater policy continuity and reduce political tensions associated with frequent elections.
Among the major reforms introduced by the Act is the elevation of Parliament into an electoral college responsible for electing a President should the office become vacant. The legislation also expands the Senate through the appointment of 10 senators selected on the basis of expertise to strengthen Parliament’s legislative and oversight functions.
“The Act has indeed elevated Parliament, in that Members of Parliament would then elect the President. Parliament will now sit as an electoral college to elect the President. Over and above that, the Senate will now have 10 senators appointed for their expertise, which will enhance the overall work of Parliament,” he said.
The Act also establishes an independent Zimbabwe Delimitation Commission, separating delimitation responsibilities from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to create specialised institutions focused on distinct constitutional functions.
“We then also had to create a Delimitation Commission that is separate from ZEC, to ensure that we have specialised individuals who deal specifically with delimitation and allow the Electoral Board to deal with elections alone. We believe that this allows the Electoral Board to be a specialised electoral organ that specialises in election issues only.”
With the legislation now in force, Government says its immediate priority is to educate citizens on the new constitutional provisions.
“We are very thankful to His Excellency for assenting to the Bill. The Bill is now an Act, and what we now need is to conscientise the generality of our people on the provisions of the Act, so that once it is operationalised, people will be able to appreciate what is in the new constitutional provisions,” Honourable Ziyambi said.
The Constitutional Amendment Act No. 3 follows public consultations held across the country and introduces reforms which Government says are aimed at strengthening governance, improving institutional effectiveness and promoting continuity in Zimbabwe’s development agenda.
