Harare, (New Ziana) – A nationwide public opinion survey conducted by the Public Policy and Research Institute of Zimbabwe (PPRIZ) has revealed that a majority of Zimbabweans support most of the key provisions contained in the Constitution of Zimbabwe (Amendment No. 3) Bill, 2026 (CAB3), reinforcing Parliament’s ongoing efforts to modernize the country’s governance framework through constitutional reforms.
The findings come at a time when CAB3 has reached the final stages of the legislative process, having secured the required two-thirds majority in both Houses of Parliament before being transmitted to President Emmerson Mnangagwa for assent.
According to the independent Bulawayo-based think tank, 61.1 percent of Zimbabweans are aware of the proposed constitutional amendments, while public participation in the consultation process has been significant, with Parliament receiving more than 300 000 written submissions, making the exercise one of the most participatory constitutional reform processes in the country’s history.
Awareness of public hearings stood at 44 percent, while 12.5 percent of respondents either attended hearings or submitted their views.
PPRIZ noted that the reforms are intended to create a more coherent governance framework by addressing electoral cycles, strengthening institutions and improving policy continuity.
Among other things, the draft bill proposes to lengthen the country’s electoral cycle from five to seven years, and abolish the direct election of the president and replace this with parliamentary picking.
In the survey, among the Bill’s flagship proposals, 51.3 percent of respondents supported extending presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years, compared to 41.2 percent who opposed the proposal.
The survey explains that the rationale behind the amendment is to reduce the effects of “election mode toxicity,” where governments spend a significant portion of their term focused on continuous campaigning rather than long-term national development programmes.
The proposal to have the President elected by Parliament instead of through a direct popular vote also attracted more support than opposition, with 48.9 percent in favour compared to 41 percent against, while 10.1 percent remained undecided.
The survey also found majority backing for several institutional reforms contained in CAB3. Support stood at 54.8 percent for transferring voter registration responsibilities from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to the Registrar-General, a proposal PPRIZ linked to higher public confidence in the Registrar-General’s office than in ZEC.
Similarly, 54.7 percent supported expanding the Constitutional Court’s jurisdiction to hear matters of public importance beyond constitutional disputes, while 52.3 percent endorsed raising the professional qualifications required for appointment as Attorney-General.
A further 51.1 percent supported increasing the Senate by ten members appointed directly by the president to broaden technical expertise in Parliament.
The research also showed that respondents distinguished between individual provisions, with two proposals attracting notable resistance.
The strongest opposition was recorded against allowing traditional leaders to participate in politics, with 70.2 percent opposed, while 52.4 percent opposed merging the Zimbabwe Gender Commission with the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission.
PPRIZ said the survey demonstrates that while Zimbabweans hold differing views on specific clauses, there is broad support for the overall reform agenda and continued public engagement in constitutional processes.
The institute added that citizens’ confidence in institutions, the quality of consultations and perceptions of governance all play an important role in shaping public acceptance of constitutional reforms.
PPRIZ said the survey was conducted between 9 and 18 April 2026 using a random sampling methodology across all of Zimbabwe’s 10 provinces.
The study interviewed citizens aged 18 years and above, with researchers ensuring a balanced representation of men and women to provide a nationally representative picture of public sentiment on Constitution Amendment Bill No. 3.
Prior to deployment, the institute said its field teams carried out pre-testing to ensure the validity, reliability and contextual appropriateness of the survey instrument across the country’s diverse communities.
New Ziana
