Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 Sails Through Senate 75-4

The Constitutional Amendment No. 3 Bill has sailed through the Senate after securing 75 votes in favour, with four against and one abstention.

ZANU-PF, which holds 33 of the 60 elected seats, needed opposition support to reach the two-thirds majority required to amend the Constitution. The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) has 27 elected senators, but only four opposed the Bill.

The four CCC senators who voted against were Sesel Zvidzai (Midlands), Solani Moyo (Matabeleland South), Meliwe Phuthi (Matabeleland South) and Nonhlanhla Mlotshwa (Matabeleland South).

The outcome indicates that a significant number of opposition senators voted with ZANU-PF to pass the amendments.

In addition to the 60 elected members, the 80-member Senate includes 18 chiefs and two representatives of people with disabilities.

Under the Constitution of Zimbabwe, what happens next depends on whether the Senate passed the Constitutional Amendment Bill in the same form as the National Assembly.

If the Senate passed the Bill without changes, it will not return to the National Assembly.

The Speaker of the National Assembly and the President of the Senate must certify that the Bill received the required two-thirds majority of the total membership in each House. The Bill is then sent directly to the President for assent and signature.

However, if the Senate amended the Bill, it must go back to the National Assembly.

A Constitutional Bill must be passed at its final reading by a two-thirds majority in both Houses. Both chambers must therefore agree on the exact same wording. If the Senate makes any changes, the National Assembly must vote on whether to accept or reject those amendments.

Related:

Mnangagwa Summons Parliament For Extraordinary Sitting On Constitution Amendment No. 3 Bill The Real Meaning Of One Man, One Vote – And Why Amendment Bill No. 3 Doesn’t Violate It