ZPSAA Tells Parliament: CAB3 is a Step Toward Stability and Long-Term Development
Scholarship Alumni Association backs seven-year presidential term as alignment with Vision 2030
By Desire Tshuma
HARARE — A group of professionals trained under Zimbabwe’s Presidential and National Scholarship programme has formally backed the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 3) Bill, saying it will provide the institutional stability needed to advance the country’s development agenda.
In a media statement submitted to Parliament, the Zimbabwe Presidential Scholarship Alumni Association for Economic Development (ZPSAA) described CAB3 as “in alignment with Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030” and the National Development Strategy.
“The National Development Strategies require institutional stability, policy continuity, and sufficient time horizons for execution and consolidation of national programmes,” ZPSAA stated. The association argues that extending the presidential term to seven years and aligning it with the current Parliament’s lifespan would give the government “enough time to plan and implement national development programmes.”
The alumni, who span disciplines from law and agriculture to philosophy and the sciences, said the amendment also makes economic sense. They cited the estimated US$188 million cost of the 2023 harmonised elections, noting that a longer term could help safeguard resources for national projects instead of diverting them to repeated electoral cycles. “Extension of the presidential term would not only be politically compelling but also economically sound,” the statement reads.
ZPSAA further said CAB3 is consistent with Zimbabwe’s obligations under the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and international human rights covenants. The group stressed that constitutions should evolve with a country’s socio-economic and political landscape, and that the 2013 Constitution already provides a lawful framework for amendment under section 328.
“Constitutional flexibility is itself a hallmark of resilient constitutionalism,” ZPSAA said, pointing to countries such as Algeria, Azerbaijan and Israel that operate with seven-year presidential terms, and Egypt and Russia with six-year terms.
The association highlighted the proposal for Parliament to elect the President as a form of “institutional refinement” that strengthens democratic accountability while remaining within constitutional bounds. It added that the process itself reflects procedural and institutional compliance, with Parliament exercising its authority under sections 117 and 328.
In its final remarks, ZPSAA said CAB3 strikes a balance between electoral democracy and developmental priorities by allowing leaders to implement transformative policies without frequent electoral disruption.
“A Presidential seven-year term will promote a good governance approach through facilitating executive long-term planning, reducing policy disruption, and enhancing the effectiveness of national development initiatives,” the association concluded. “We are in full support of CAB3.”
