A new survey says a narrow majority of Zimbabweans support extending the terms of office for the President and Parliament from five to seven years, while nearly half favour replacing direct presidential elections with a parliamentary vote, findings that contrast with the largely critical public submissions made during recent consultations on the Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 (CAB3).
The survey titled the ‘National Public Opinion Survey on the Constitution of Zimbabwe (Amendment No. 3) H.B 1 Bill 2026,’ was commissioned by the Public Policy and Research Institute of Zimbabwe (PPRIZ) and conducted by the Mass Public Opinion Institute (MPOI).
Researchers interviewed 1 641 adult Zimbabweans between April 9 and 18, 2026 using a nationally representative sample with a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.
The findings come just days after Parliament passed CAB3 despite strong opposition from opposition parties, civil society organisations and many citizens, although the Bill enjoyed overwhelming support from Zanu F legislators and party loyalists.
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According to the survey, 51.3 percent of respondents support extending presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years, while 41.2 percent oppose the proposal and 7.5 percent are undecided.
“Term of office extension (five to seven years, Clauses 4, 9, 10): 51.3% of respondents support extending presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years, against 41.2% opposed and 7.5% neutral or undecided,” stated a media release from PPRIZ.
PPRIZ said the results indicate “a genuine, if qualified, public appetite for reform.”
Researchers said many Zimbabweans believe reducing the frequency of elections would allow the government to focus on long-term development rather than perpetual campaigning.
“The case for extension is reinforced by a separate finding that 55.4% of respondents agree (31.2% ‘strongly,’ 24.2% ‘somewhat’) that Zimbabwe spends too much time in election mode and too little time governing, echoing the Bill’s own stated rationale of eliminating what it calls ‘election mode toxicity’ that traps leaders in perpetual campaigning at the expense of long-term programmes such as NDS1 and Vision 2030.”
PPRIZ said the survey was intended to provide lawmakers, civil society and the public with an objective assessment of citizens’ views as Parliament debated the constitutional changes.
“Constitutional reform of this scale should not move forward on guesswork about what the public wants. This survey gives Parliament, civil society, and ordinary Zimbabweans a clear, methodologically sound picture of where the country stands on every clause in the Bill, at the exact moment that picture is needed most,” PPRIZ stated.
One of the survey’s most significant findings relates to the method of electing the President, as it found that 48.9 percent of respondents support replacing Zimbabwe’s current system of directly electing the President with an indirect parliamentary election, while 41 percent oppose the proposal and 10.1 percent remain undecided.
“Presidential election by Parliament instead of direct popular vote (Clause 3): 48.9% of respondents support replacing the direct popular election of the President with an indirect parliamentary method, against 41.0% definitively opposed and 10.1% undecided.”
PPRIZ described the result as historically significant, stating:.
“This level of backing for a change of this magnitude signals a meaningful opening for what would be a landmark shift in how Zimbabwe’s democracy functions, with the potential, if paired with clear public communication of the rationale, to align the country with other modern parliamentary democracies.”
The strongest opinion recorded in the survey, however, was opposition to allowing traditional leaders to participate in partisan politics.
About 70.2 percent of respondents opposed repealing the constitutional prohibition on chiefs engaging in politics, while only 28.8 percent supported the proposal.
“Traditional leaders in politics (Clause 21): 70.2% of respondents are opposed (61.5% ‘strongly,’ 8.7% ‘somewhat’), against just 28.8% in support. This is the strongest opposition recorded for any single clause in the Bill, signalling that the proposal to repeal the existing prohibition on traditional leaders participating in politics runs sharply against public sentiment nationwide,” PPRIZ stated.
The survey also found Zimbabweans remain sceptical about abolishing the Zimbabwe Gender Commission and transferring its functions to the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission.
More than half (52.4 percent) opposed the proposal, compared to 44.4 percent who supported it.
On electoral administration, 54.8 percent supported transferring voter registration responsibilities from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to the Registrar General’s Office, while 42.3 percent opposed the proposal.
“Voter registration transfer from ZEC to the Registrar General (Clauses 2, 17): 54.8% support the transfer, 42.3% oppose, and 2.9% are undecided,” PPRIZ said.
PPRIZ linked this finding to levels of public trust in state institutions and also found the Registrar General’s Office enjoyed the highest public confidence, with 78 percent of respondents expressing trust, followed by the judiciary (76.3 percent) and the Presidency (73 percent).
By contrast, Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) recorded the lowest trust rating among institutions surveyed, with only 58 percent expressing confidence and 40.6 percent saying they had no trust in the electoral body.
The survey also found majority support for expanding the Constitutional Court’s jurisdiction, strengthening qualification requirements for the Attorney General and increasing Senate membership through additional presidential appointments.
Opinion was more divided on proposals to remove public interviews for judicial appointments, with 42 percent supporting the amendment, 38 percent opposing it and 20 percent remaining undecided.
Beyond the constitutional proposals, the survey paints a picture of a politically polarised country.
Nearly 61.6 percent of respondents described Zimbabwe as politically divided, while 53.5 percent believed electoral competition contributes to corruption.
“A majority of Zimbabweans, 61.6%, perceive the country as politically divided… More than half of respondents, 53.5%, believe political competition around elections increases corruption to some degree.”
PPRIZ said this broader political environment is important when interpreting public attitudes toward constitutional reform.
The survey also found relatively high awareness of CAB3, with 61.1 percent of respondents saying they had heard about the proposed amendments.
Social media emerged as the leading source of information, followed by ZBC Radio, friends and relatives and ZBC Television.
Although awareness of Parliament’s consultation process was moderate during the survey period, PPRIZ noted that participation increased substantially afterwards, with Parliament reportedly receiving more than 300 000 written submissions, making the constitutional review one of Zimbabwe’s largest public consultation exercises.
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