Government mobilises chiefs to endorse controversial Constitution Bill

Traditional leaders are facing mounting pressure to endorse the controversial Constitutional Amendment No. 3 Bill, amid allegations that government officials have moved to mobilise chiefs through a series of urgent meetings ahead of a key national gathering. Highly placed sources told CITE that the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works recently advised the President of the National Council of Chiefs, Chief Mtshane Khumalo, to convene emergency provincial assemblies across the country on Thursday, 26 March 2026.

These meetings were reportedly intended to consolidate support for the amendment bill before a National Council of Chiefs meeting scheduled for Sunday 29 March 2026. The directive is said to have come from Local Government Minister, Daniel Garwe, who allegedly urged provincial chairpersons to make sure chiefs endorse the proposed constitutional changes ahead of the national indaba. The developments come as theConstitutional Amendment No.

3 Bill, gazetted in February 2026, continues to generate intense debate across Zimbabwe’s political and civic landscape. The Bill proposes sweeping changes to the governance framework, including extending presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years and altering the method of electing the President. If adopted, the changes could allow President Emmerson Mnangagwa, currently serving his final term under the 2013 Constitution, to remain in office beyond 2028, potentially up to 2030.

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The amendment bill will also allow chiefs, who are constitutionally mandated to be politically neutral to openly participate in politics and join political parties. However, on Thursday, chiefs from Matabeleland North and South were already gathered in Bulawayo for a workshop on capacitation in customary law and local courts, organised by the Judicial Service Commission. Sources within the chiefs’ establishment who spoke to CITE suggested there could be a coordinated effort to endorse the Bill, since the presence of chiefs from both provinces in one location created an opportunity for parallel discussions on the amendment bill.

Media invitations circulating on Thursday also pointed to a “Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 Consultations for Traditional Chiefs in the Matabeleland Region,” scheduled for the same Thursday evening. The media briefing is expected to be addressed by Chief Mtshane and legal experts as guest speakers.

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