The Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC) has renewed its call for a national referendum on Constitutional Amendment Act No. 3 warning that the new law has deepened political divisions and sparked a constitutional crisis that requires dialogue rather than confrontation.
In a pastoral letter issued after the enactment of the Constitution of Zimbabwe (Amendment) Act (No. 3) 2026, the church body said the signing of the legislation into law on 7 July had not settled the debate surrounding the controversial amendments.
Instead, it said, the legislation had intensified national polarisation and triggered legal and political challenges.
“We observe that the signing of CAA3 into law on 7 July 2026 has not brought the contestation of the same into finality.
“Instead, CAA3 has deepened national polarisation and generated serious constitutional, political, and moral contestation,” the ZCC said.
The council noted that several court applications challenging the validity of the amendment had already been filed while some citizens had indicated their intention to exercise their constitutional right to demonstrate.
The church urged political leaders to approach the dispute with restraint arguing that constitutional questions should not become partisan battles.
“We believe that constitutional questions of such magnitude should not be treated as contests in which one political side must triumph over another because the National Constitution is a sacred covenant,” the letter said.
The ZCC reiterated its long-standing position that amendments affecting presidential and parliamentary terms, presidential succession and constitutional term limits should have been subjected to a national referendum in line with Section 328 of the Constitution.
“Our position, therefore, remains unchanged: the people of Zimbabwe should be given the opportunity to directly express their will through a free, fair, transparent, and credible national referendum,” the council said.
It added that Parliament should have established an independent commission to conduct broad public consultations instead of relying on institutions that were themselves beneficiaries of the proposed amendments.
Calling on the government to reconsider its approach, the ZCC said it was “not too late” to pursue an inclusive constitutional process.
“A referendum would not be an act of weakness; it would be an expression of confidence in the people, a safeguard of legitimacy and a means of reducing the division now threatening our common life,” the letter said.
The council also appealed to the judiciary to independently determine the legal challenges now before the courts and urged all parties to respect judicial processes.
“Court processes must be respected, and no person or institution should threaten, intimidate or vilify litigants, lawyers, judicial officers or witnesses for lawfully participating in these proceedings,” it said.
While affirming citizens’ constitutional rights to assemble, petition and demonstrate peacefully, the church called on those planning protests to reject violence, intimidation and destruction of property.
It also urged the government, police and security services to facilitate peaceful demonstrations and avoid arbitrary arrests, excessive force or intimidation.
“There must be no arbitrary arrests, collective punishment, intimidation or use of force,” the council said.
Looking beyond the immediate dispute, the Council called for an inclusive national dialogue involving political parties, churches, civil society, traditional leaders, business organisations, women and young people to address the constitutional questions raised by Amendment No. 3 and promote national unity.
“Zimbabwe does not need factional camps of winners and losers. We need an honest national conversation that recognises our differences while safeguarding our shared future,” the council said.
The church also rejected claims that constitutional advocacy amounts to hostility towards the State or serves foreign interests, saying its intervention was rooted in its pastoral responsibility and long-standing commitment to peacebuilding and nation-building.
“We speak at such a time as this because silence in the face of deep national polarisation and threats to constitutionalism would be a failure to our priestly, pastoral, and prophetic calling and responsibility,” the pastoral letter concluded.
