18 February 2026 – Ash Wednesday
“Return to me with all your heart” (Joel 2:12).
Beloved Sisters and Brothers in Christ, People of Zimbabwe, Grace and peace to you from God our Creator, our Redeemer, and our Sustainer.
As the Church marks the beginning of the sacred season of Lent, the Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC) addresses this pastoral letter to the nation at a time when our people carry heavy burdens of economic hardships, social fragmentation, political anxiety, and moral
uncertainty. Lent is not merely a religious ritual, but a holy invitation and God’s call to pause, reflect, repent, and to realign our lives, personally and collectively, with God’s purposes for justice, peace, dignity, and life in its fullness.
The ashes we receive today remind us of our human frailty: “You are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Yet they also proclaim hope that God is not finished with us. In this season, we are called to repentance not only of personal sins, but also of collective failures: the normalization of corruption, indifference to poverty and inequality, violence in our homes and communities, intolerance, exclusion, and hatred of those who differ from us, and silence in the face of injustice. True repentance is not fear-driven, but it is transformative, and it turns our hearts toward God and turns societies toward justice.
Our country remains deeply polarized politically, socially, economically, and even religiously. Lent invites us to walk the difficult road of reconciliation. We urge families to mend broken relationships, communities to resist violence and hate speech, churches to be spaces of welcome, truth, and healing, and leaders to choose dialogue over confrontation. The Cross of Christ reminds us that peace is costly, but division is far more destructive.
This year, we enter Lent amid significant and disturbing national developments that touch the
heart of our constitutional democracy and collective future. Lent is a season of truth-telling
before God; it is a time when we ask not only,
“Where have I sinned?” but also, “Where have we as a nation strayed?” The recently announced and gazetted Constitutional Amendment No. 3 Bill, 2026, proposes to amend presidential term limits and extend the current five-year term of office to seven years, among other fundamental changes to our Constitution. These proposals follow earlier calls to extend presidential tenure beyond 2028, calls which the Zimbabwe Council of Churches addressed in July 2024.
As the Church, we reiterate what we have consistently proclaimed: constitutionalism is not a a technical matter; it is a moral covenant between leaders and citizens. The Constitution is a solemn social contract; it protects the weak from the powerful, and it guards against the concentration of authority. It also provides predictability, stability, and peaceful transitions of power. Any amendment that alters foundational principles, especially term limits, must be approached with utmost caution, transparency, broad consultation, and national consensus. In our July 2024 statement, the Church commended the President of Zimbabwe’s stance on upholding constitutionalism, as evidenced by his pledge to retire after his second 5-year term ending in 2028, and urged adherence to constitutional term limits and the holding of elections in 2028 as scheduled. That position remains unchanged. The Church believes that Leadership is stewardship, not ownership. Power must be exercised within constitutional boundaries,
regular, credible elections strengthen national legitimacy, and peaceful transitions of power are a mark of democratic maturity.
We therefore call upon:
1.The Executive to uphold the Constitution in letter and spirit.
2.Members of Parliament to exercise their oversight role responsibly and protect constitutional integrity.
3.Citizens to engage peacefully, lawfully, and responsibly in national dialogue on this matter.
We acknowledge that the Government has presented Constitutional Amendment No. 3 as a measure to promote political stability and policy continuity. Stability is indeed desirable. However, history teaches us that true stability is rooted not in the extension of power, but in
trust, legitimacy, accountability, and inclusive governance. When constitutional rules are respected and transitions are predictable, nations flourish. When rules are altered in ways perceived to entrench and consolidate power, public trust erodes, and social cohesion weakens. As people of faith, we affirm that justice is the foundation of lasting peace.
Zimbabwe is a nation of resilient and faithful people. Yet we remain vulnerable to polarization and suspicion. During this sacred season of Lent, we call for:
1.National dialogue grounded in respect,
2.Open public consultation on constitutional reforms.
3.Non-violence in speech and action, Protection of civic space for lawful expression.
The Church stands ready to facilitate constructive National dialogue in the spirit of reconciliation and nation-building.
Lent moves us toward the Cross but not toward despair. It leads us toward resurrection. We believe Zimbabwe’s future is not secured by fear or control, but by justice, accountability, humility, and shared responsibility. We therefore encourage: Leaders to choose humility over expediency, institutions to choose integrity over convenience, citizens to choose peace over provocation, and Churches to choose courage over silence.
We are dust, but we are also God’s beloved people.
May this Lenten season renew our moral imagination, strengthen our constitutional commitment, and guide Zimbabwe toward a future marked by justice, peace, and democratic integrity.
We commend our nation to God’s grace and mercy.
“Create in us clean hearts, O God, and renew a right spirit within us. ” (Psalm 51:10)
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