HARARE — Zimbabwe has begun an extensive legislative reform programme to align the country’s legal framework with the recently enacted Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Act No. 3, setting in motion one of the most significant constitutional implementation exercises since the adoption of the 2013 Constitution.
According to State media, the Government expects to complete the legislative alignment process by 2028, with approximately 12 Acts of Parliament scheduled for amendment to bring existing laws into conformity with the new constitutional provisions.
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said the Government is already identifying legislation requiring amendment, with work progressing on reforms that will operationalise the constitutional changes approved earlier this month.
“We will amend the Electoral Act to give effect to the constitutional amendments that have already been enacted,” Minister Ziyambi told State media. “We are also looking at introducing legislation to establish the Delimitation Commission, define its composition and functions, and regulate the relationship between the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and the Registrar-General in relation to the voters’ roll. We are giving ourselves until 2028 to complete all the necessary amendments.”
Among the first priorities is the Electoral Act, which is expected to undergo substantial revisions following changes introduced by the constitutional amendment.
The new constitutional framework transfers responsibility for voter registration and maintenance of the national voters’ roll from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to the Registrar-General’s Office, requiring extensive amendments to existing electoral legislation.
Government has already commenced administrative preparations for the transition.
Speaking in the Senate, Minister Ziyambi said ZEC, the Ministry of Justice, the Registrar-General’s Office and the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage have begun coordinating the migration of the voters’ roll.
“The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has already begun the sensitisation programme with the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, the Registrar-General and the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage. They have also started the process of migrating the voters’ roll from ZEC to the Registrar-General’s Office,” he said.
The revised Electoral Act will also reflect the new constitutional process for filling a vacancy in the Office of the President, which will now be determined through election by Parliament rather than a nationwide presidential election.
Additional amendments will incorporate the extension of presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years, revise election timelines, provide for the appointment of ten additional presidential nominees to the Senate and remove constituency delimitation responsibilities from ZEC.
The constitutional amendments establish a Delimitation Commission, which will assume responsibility for constituency boundary reviews.
Parliament is expected to enact new legislation defining the commission’s composition, powers and operational framework.
Parliament’s Standing Orders will also require revision to establish procedures governing joint sittings of Parliament for the election of a President whenever the office becomes vacant.
Beyond electoral legislation, Government plans to amend several key statutes across the justice and governance sectors.
These include the Judicial Service Act, Supreme Court Act, Constitutional Court Act, Defence Act, Urban Councils Act, Rural District Councils Act, Traditional Leaders Act and the Attorney-General’s Office Act.
The Judicial Service Act will be updated to recognise the newly established office of the Judge President of the Supreme Court, while amendments to the Supreme Court and Constitutional Court Acts will reflect the restructuring of Zimbabwe’s superior courts and the Constitutional Court’s expanded appellate jurisdiction.
Government also plans to repeal or substantially amend the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission Act, following constitutional changes affecting the commission’s status.
Meanwhile, the Defence Act will be revised to align with the expanded constitutional mandate of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, which now expressly includes safeguarding national security, territorial integrity, constitutional order and Zimbabwe’s national interests.
Local government legislation governing urban councils, rural district councils and traditional leadership institutions will also be reviewed as part of the broader alignment process.
In addition, amendments to the Attorney-General’s Office Act will raise the qualification threshold for appointment as Attorney-General, requiring candidates to meet the qualifications necessary for appointment as a Supreme Court judge rather than a High Court judge.
Minister Ziyambi said the constitutional amendments have initiated an extensive legislative programme, with several Bills expected to be introduced in Parliament over the coming months.
“We need to do several consequential amendments,” he said. “We are working through all the laws that need to be aligned. The Act was only assented to by His Excellency a short time ago, so this is now work in progress. Parliament will soon begin receiving Bills that will give full effect to the constitutional amendments.”
President Emmerson Mnangagwa signed Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Act No. 3 into law on July 7, formally triggering the legislative and administrative reforms now underway.
