President Emmerson Mnangagwa has signed the Constitution Amendment No. 3 Act into law, marking a significant milestone in Zimbabwe’s ongoing governance and institutional reform programme.
The legislation officially came into effect following its publication in an Extraordinary Government Gazette as Act No. 6 of 2026, giving legal force to a series of constitutional amendments that were previously approved by Parliament.
Among the key reforms introduced by the Act is the establishment of an independent Delimitation Commission, which will now be responsible for conducting constituency and ward delimitation exercises, a function that was previously carried out by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).
The Act also extends the timeframe for completing delimitation exercises from six months to eighteen months, providing greater flexibility in carrying out the constitutional process.
Significant changes have also been made to the structure of the judiciary. The legislation creates the office of Judge President of the Supreme Court, separating the administration of the Supreme Court from that of the Constitutional Court.
Under the new arrangement, the Chief Justice will continue to head the Constitutional Court, while the newly created Judge President will oversee the administration and operations of the Supreme Court.
The Constitutional Court’s jurisdiction has also been expanded, allowing it to hear appeals involving arguable points of law of general public importance where leave to appeal has been granted.
The new law further revises procedures for judicial appointments, updates the constitutional mandate of the Defence Forces and removes the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission from the Constitution.
In addition, the Act introduces amendments affecting the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission and the Office of the Prosecutor-General as part of broader institutional reforms.
On the local governance front, the legislation provides for proportional representation seats reserved for women and young people in local authorities, a move aimed at broadening participation in local governance.
The tenure of members of the National Council and provincial assemblies of chiefs has also been extended from five years to seven years.
The enactment of Constitution Amendment No. 3 represents the latest step in Zimbabwe’s constitutional reform process, with the provisions now taking legal effect under Act No. 6 of 2026 following their publication in the Extraordinary Government Gazette.
