HARARE – Opposition legislators from Matabeleland featured prominently among the 35 opposition Members of Parliament who voted alongside ZANU-PF to pass the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Bill No. 3 (CAB3), highlighting the region’s significant contribution to the controversial constitutional changes.
The Bill secured 216 votes in the National Assembly on Thursday, comfortably surpassing the two-thirds majority required for constitutional amendments, while 42 MPs voted against the measure.
The result underscored the decisive role played by opposition lawmakers, as ZANU-PF required support from outside its own ranks to secure the constitutional threshold necessary for the Bill’s passage.
An analysis of the voting patterns shows that a substantial proportion of the opposition MPs who supported the Bill came from Matabeleland constituencies or proportional representation seats allocated to the region.
Among opposition legislators from Matabeleland who voted in favour were Members of Parliament representing constituencies in Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South, as well as proportional representation seats linked to the region.
The outcome has added a new dimension to the national debate surrounding CAB3, with political observers noting that support for the Bill crossed traditional party lines and regional political divides.
Following the vote, Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda declared the Bill passed and announced that it would proceed to the Senate, where it will require another two-thirds majority before advancing further in the legislative process.
CAB3 has become one of the most contentious pieces of legislation in recent years. Critics argue that some of its provisions, including proposals relating to the extension of the terms of office of the President and Members of Parliament, are sufficiently significant to warrant a national referendum rather than parliamentary approval alone.
Supporters of the Bill, however, maintain that Parliament is constitutionally empowered to amend the Constitution through the procedures prescribed in law.
The vote also exposed deep divisions within the opposition. While 35 opposition MPs supported the Bill, 42 legislators voted against it, openly defying the position advanced by MPs aligned to interim CCC secretary-general Sengezo Tshabangu.
Among those voting against the Bill were legislators from across the country, including representatives from Harare, Manicaland, Mashonaland, Midlands and Matabeleland.
With the National Assembly stage now complete, attention shifts to the Senate, where the constitutional amendment faces another crucial test. The outcome will determine whether the proposed changes continue their path toward becoming part of Zimbabwe’s supreme law.
The parliamentary vote is likely to remain politically significant, not only because of the constitutional issues at stake, but also because it revealed unusual voting alignments that cut across established opposition and ruling-party boundaries.
