Harare - The controversial Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Bill (No. 3), CAB3, sailed through the National Assembly on Thursday, securing 216 votes against 42, a decision immediately mired in accusations of defections and procedural violations.
While the ruling ZANU-PF party holds 194 seats - already exceeding the 187-vote threshold required for a two-thirds majority - the final tally was bolstered by support from opposition benches.
ZANU PF Chief Whip Pupurai Togarepi defended the outcome, describing the cross-party support as a demonstration of democracy in action.
"We have managed to surpass the two thirds majority. We have over 36 members of the opposition who have voted on our side. It shows democracy. When we are in the House we are family," he said.
At least 35 members from the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) voted in favour of the bill. The government had been short of the required supermajority by seven votes. At least 22 MPs abstained from voting.
The Bill, which now moves to the Senate, introduces sweeping changes to Zimbabwe’s governance structure.
Key provisions include the abolition of direct presidential elections, replacing them with a vote by Parliament, and the extension of presidential, parliamentary, and local authority terms from five to seven years.
The passage follows days of intense debate and procedural clashes, including a late-night sitting that extended until midnight on Wednesday as opposition legislators sought to prolong the process.
In the Senate, the bill’s fate hangs in the balance. While ZANU-PF holds 33 of the 60 elected seats, the CCC holds 27.
The remaining 20 seats are held by 18 chiefs and two representatives of people with disabilities, a bloc traditionally expected to support the ruling party.
If the Senate passes the bill, it will proceed to the President for signing into law.