Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 (CAB3) appears set to clear in the National Assembly, with growing support among legislators positioning the proposed law for passage to the Senate.
After several days of debate, the Bill has continued to attract backing from lawmakers across the political divide, strengthening expectations that it will secure the two-thirds majority required for approval in the lower house.
The proposed amendments have dominated parliamentary business in recent weeks, with legislators extensively debating provisions aimed at refining aspects of governance, electoral processes and public administration. As deliberations enter their final stages, focus has increasingly shifted from the content of the debate to the numbers required for the Bill’s progression.
Under parliamentary procedures, debate on a Bill can be concluded once the Minister responsible is satisfied that all major viewpoints have been adequately canvassed and that further contributions are merely repeating issues already raised. This responsibility rests with the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Honourable Ziyambi Ziyambi, who will determine when the House is ready to move to the voting stage.
The Bill requires a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly to proceed to the Senate, translating to at least 187 votes. With ZANU PF holding 194 seats in the House, political observers believe the ruling party is well placed to secure the necessary support.
Notably, no ZANU PF legislator has publicly opposed the Bill during parliamentary debates, a development that has reinforced confidence among supporters that the proposed constitutional changes will receive the backing required to advance.
Political analyst Gabriel Chaibva said both the consultative process and parliamentary discussions demonstrated strong public and legislative support for the proposed amendments.
“If we look at the national parliamentary brief and consultative process, the majority of our people were in absolute support of Constitutional Amendment No. 3 Bill, and that is going to be the guideline for Members of Parliament,” he said.
Chaibva said the Bill was likely to receive overwhelming support not only in the National Assembly but also in the Senate.
“In the National Assembly, there is no issue. ZANU PF has a commanding majority. The Senate consists of mature people who are committed to this country today and into the future, and they see the goodness of the Constitutional Amendment No. 3 Bill. I have no doubt in my mind that the Bill will receive an overwhelming and commanding majority vote in the Senate,” he said.
Another political analyst, Lazarus Sauti, said the tone and substance of the parliamentary debate pointed towards a favourable outcome for the legislation.
“Judging by the quality of debates that have been generated on CAB3, it points to an affirmative vote by legislators. We have seen contributions from both ruling party and opposition members. The Bill is likely to sail through,” he said.
The debate has also attracted contributions from some opposition legislators, highlighting the broad interest generated by the proposed constitutional reforms. Analysts say this level of engagement reflects the significance of the Bill and the far-reaching implications it could have for Zimbabwe’s governance framework.
As Parliament approaches the final stages of deliberation, expectations continue to grow that lawmakers will soon move to a vote. Should the Bill secure the required two-thirds majority in the National Assembly, it will proceed to the Senate for further consideration, bringing it one step closer to becoming law.
With political attention firmly fixed on Parliament, the coming days are expected to be decisive in determining the future of one of the most closely watched pieces of legislation in recent years.
