Zimbabwe: Parliament Receives Over 300,000 Submissions On Constitutional Amendment Number 3 Bill As 90-Day Consultation Window Closes

The Parliament of Zimbabwe has reportedly received overwhelming responses from the public on the controversial Constitutional Amendment Bill Number 3 (CAB3), which among other things seeks to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa's term of office.

According to latest reports, Parliament got more than 300,000 submissions on the proposed CAB3 during the 90-day consultation process that ends tomorrow, May 18. Going by the unassailable figure of participants, CAB3 has attracted arguably the most engaged participation of the public in constitutional reform processes in recent years.

Clerk of Parliament Kennedy Chokuda said submissions had overshot the 300,000 mark by last week.

"At the moment, I do not have the exact figures. However, as of Tuesday (last week), we had received 300,000 submissions and we are still receiving until Monday when the 90-day window closes," Chokuda told State media.

"After that, we begin analysing the submissions and compiling a report from the views expressed by the public."

CAB3 was gazetted on February 16, 2026, and has generated intense debate among citizens, particularly with regards provisions that seek to extend Mnangagwa's incumbency and that of Parliament from the current five to seven years. This means that should the Bill sail through, Mnangagwa will remain in office beyond 2028 when his second and final term is expected to end.

Zimbabweans lodged their views through written submissions delivered physically to Parliament, via email while a few, particularly those in support of the Bill, aired their views during chaotic public hearings held between March 31 and April 2 in selected locations.

The high number of written submissions vindicates opposition activists who argued that they were never afforded the opportunity to criticize the controversial proposed changes to the country's supreme law.

In the aftermath of tomorrow's submission deadline, the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs is expected to start sifting through the submissions before the Bill is formally introduced for debate when the National Assembly, which is currently adjourned, resumes sitting early next month.

The committee is expected to take between two and three weeks to compile its report before tabling it in Parliament.

Read the original article on New Zimbabwe.