HARARE
–
Zimbabwe’s
Catholic
bishops
have
submitted
a
sweeping
rejection
of
the
Constitution
Amendment
(No.
3)
Bill,
2026,
urging
parliament
to
throw
out
clause
after
clause
of
the
proposed
amendments
and
warning
that
the
bill
erodes
democratic
safeguards,
weakens
institutional
independence
and
undermines
the
sovereign
will
of
the
people.
The
Zimbabwe
Catholic
Bishops’
Conference
(ZCBC),
signed
by
all
seven
bishops
including
both
the
Archbishop
of
Harare
and
the
Archbishop
of
Bulawayo,
filed
its
submission
to
parliament
on
Tuesday,
describing
the
bill
as
a
threat
to
“the
moral
and
institutional
foundations
upon
which
national
life
rests.”
“The
Conference
is
deeply
concerned
that
several
provisions
of
CAB3
undermine
foundational
constitutional
principles,
weaken
institutional
independence,
diminish
direct
democratic
participation,
and
erode
constitutional
safeguards
against
the
concentration
and
abuse
of
power,”
the
bishops
said.
The
bishops
reserved
their
sharpest
language
for
Clause
2,
which
proposes
to
scrap
the
direct
election
of
the
president
by
registered
voters
and
replace
it
with
a
parliamentary
vote,
with
the
Senate
and
National
Assembly
sitting
jointly.
“To
transfer
the
election
of
the
head
of
state
from
citizens
to
parliament
fundamentally
alters
the
source
and
character
of
executive
legitimacy,”
the
conference
said.
“Zimbabwe’s
liberation
struggle
was
deeply
rooted
in
the
principle
of
‘one
person,
one
vote’
and
the
right
of
citizens
to
determine
their
political
leadership
directly.”
The
bishops
rejected
the
government’s
stated
justification
that
the
change
would
reduce
“electoral
toxicity,”
calling
it
“constitutionally
insufficient
to
justify
removing
the
people’s
direct
vote
for
president.”
Should
parliament
insist
on
proceeding,
they
said,
the
matter
must
be
put
to
a
national
referendum.
The
conference
also
firmly
opposed
Clauses
3,
7
and
8,
which
propose
to
extend
both
the
presidential
and
parliamentary
terms
from
five
to
seven
years
and
to
apply
those
extensions
to
current
office
holders.
The
bishops
took
particular
exception
to
the
bill’s
attempt
to
operate
“notwithstanding
section
328(7)”
of
the
constitution
–
the
provision
that
bars
incumbents
from
benefiting
from
term
limit
amendments
without
a
referendum.
“Parliament
cannot
bypass
entrenched
constitutional
protections
merely
by
inserting
the
phrase
‘notwithstanding
section
328(7)’
into
ordinary
amendment
provisions,”
the
conference
said.
“To
permit
such
an
approach
would
weaken
constitutional
supremacy
itself
and
render
constitutional
safeguards
vulnerable
to
temporary
parliamentary
majorities.”
The
comparative
African
experience,
they
noted,
showed
that
attempts
to
extend
incumbency
through
constitutional
amendments
had
“frequently
contributed
to
democratic
instability,
institutional
weakening,
and
political
tension.”
The
bishops
also
opposed
clause
14,
which
they
said
significantly
weakens
judicial
appointment
safeguards
by
reducing
the
role
of
the
Judicial
Service
Commission
and
increasing
presidential
discretion
–
changes
they
warned
could
undermine
public
confidence
in
the
independence
of
the
courts.
Clauses
9
to
12,
which
propose
to
transfer
core
electoral
functions
including
voter
registration
and
management
of
the
voters’
roll
away
from
the
Zimbabwe
Electoral
Commission,
drew
an
equally
firm
rejection.
“The
voters’
roll
is
not
merely
an
administrative
register;
it
is
the
foundational
instrument
of
democratic
participation,”
the
conference
said.
Clause
19,
removing
mandatory
consultation
with
the
Judicial
Service
Commission
in
appointing
the
Prosecutor
General,
was
opposed
on
similar
grounds,
with
the
bishops
warning
it
risked
creating
“perceptions
of
excessive
executive
influence
over
prosecutorial
decisions.”
The
submission
also
opposed
clause
20,
which
relaxes
constitutional
restrictions
on
traditional
leaders
participating
in
politics.
The
bishops
said
the
current
protections
were
“essential
safeguards,
particularly
within
rural
communities
where
traditional
leaders
exercise
substantial
social
authority
and
influence,”
and
warned
their
removal
risked
politicising
customary
leadership
and
exposing
vulnerable
communities
to
discrimination.
Clauses
17
and
18,
which
abolish
the
Zimbabwe
Gender
Commission,
and
clause
21,
which
abolishes
the
National
Peace
and
Reconciliation
Commission,
were
both
rejected.
The
bishops
said
scrapping
the
NPRC
was
particularly
troubling
given
that
“Zimbabwe
continues
to
carry
unresolved
historical
wounds
arising
from
political
violence,
social
conflict,
and
past
injustices.”
Beyond
the
substance
of
the
bill,
the
conference
condemned
the
conduct
of
the
public
consultation
process,
citing
“reports
of
intimidation,
suppression
of
dissenting
voices,
disruptions,
and
unequal
participation
opportunities
during
public
hearings.”
“Such
irregularities
undermine
the
integrity
of
the
consultation
process
and
weaken
public
confidence
in
constitutional
reform,”
the
bishops
said.
The
submission
was
signed
by
ZCBC
president
Bishop
Raymond
Mupandasekwa
of
Masvingo,
vice
president
Bishop
Rudolf
Nyandoro
of
Gweru,
Archbishop
R.C.
Ndlovu
of
Harare,
Archbishop
Alex
Thomas
of
Bulawayo,
Bishop
Paul
Horan
of
Mutare,
Bishop
Raphael
Ncube
of
Hwange,
and
Bishop
Eusebius
Nyathi
of
Gokwe.
The
ZCBC
submission
adds
to
a
growing
body
of
opposition
to
the
bill
from
religious,
legal
and
civil
society
organisations.
The
Law
Society
of
Zimbabwe,
the
Zimbabwe
Human
Rights
Commission,
and
the
Zimbabwe
Heads
of
Christian
Denominations
have
all
raised
objections,
while
a
Constitutional
Court
challenge
filed
by
CCC
legislator
Prince
Dubeko
Sibanda
seeking
to
interdict
parliament
from
proceeding
remains
pending.
Parliament
is
set
to
vote
on
the
bill
later
this
month.
