They want to change the constitution—But they didn’t ask you

Have you ever had someone take something that belongs to you without asking? That is exactly what the Zimbabwean government is doing right now. They are taking your Constitution the most important law of the country and changing it to suit themselves. And they are doing it without your permission.

On February 10, 2026, Cabinet approved a Bill called the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment No. 3. This Bill makes huge changes to how Zimbabwe is run. But the people who are supposed to benefit from this Constitution, you, me, every Zimbabwean were never asked if we agree. There is no referendum planned. No national vote. Just a few powerful people in Harare deciding our future behind closed doors.

This is wrong. And we must speak up.

What Are They Changing?

Let me explain the changes in simple terms, because the government is using big words to hide what they are really doing.

First, they want to take away your vote for President. Right now. They are taking your Constitution the most important law of the country and changing it to suit themselves. And they are doing it without your permission.

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On February 10, 2026, Cabinet approved a Bill called the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment No. 3. This Bill makes huge changes to how Zimbabwe is run. But the people who are supposed to benefit from this Constitution, you, me, every Zimbabwean were never asked if we agree. There is no referendum planned. No national vote. Just a few powerful people in Harare deciding our future behind closed doors.

This is wrong. And we must speak up.

What Are They Changing?

Let me explain the changes in simple terms, because the government is using big words to hide what they are really doing.

First, they want to take away your vote for President. Right now, Section 92 of the Constitution says we elect the President directly. Your vote counts. Your voice matters. Under the new Bill, that section will be removed. Instead, Members of Parliament will choose the President. Do you see what this means? It means 350 people in Parliament will decide who leads 15 million Zimbabweans. You will no longer have a say. Your ballot paper will mean nothing.

Second, they want to extend the President’s term. Currently, a President serves five years and can only do two terms. The Bill changes this to seven years per term. And here is the dangerous part: they want this change to apply to President Mnangagwa right now, even though he was elected under the old rules. This would allow him to stay in power until 2030, not 2028. Imagine playing a game, and halfway through someone changes the rules so they can keep playing forever. That is what is happening.

Third, they want to control who votes and how. Voter registration will be moved from the independent Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to the Registrar-General a person appointed by the President. This means the same people who want to stay in power will also control the voters’ roll. It is like a student marking their own exam.

Fourth, they are removing important watchdogs. The Bill abolishes the Zimbabwe Gender Commission and the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission. These were created to protect women’s rights and heal our nation after years of conflict. Now they will simply disappear.

Fifth, they want to choose judges in secret. Public interviews for judges will be removed. The President will appoint judges after only “consulting” with the Judicial Service Commission. No public scrutiny. No transparency. Judges are supposed to be independent. How independent can they be when their jobs depend on pleasing the President?

Why This Is Stealing, Not Law-Making

The government says these changes are meant to bring “stability” and allow “development programmes to be completed”. But let us be honest. This is not about development. This is about power.

Here is what the government does not want you to know: our current Constitution was not written by politicians. It was written by all of us. In 2013, Zimbabweans went to polling stations across the country and voted YES in a referendum to adopt this Constitution. It was not given to us. We chose it. We own it.

So, if the government wants to change it, they must come back to us. They must ask for our permission again. That is what a referendum is. That is what democracy means.

Opposition leader David Coltart said it clearly: “Any amendment which has the ‘effect’ of extending an incumbent’s tenure should be subjected to a referendum. They know that if that happens, they will fail, so they will do all in their power to prevent a referendum from happening”.

Professor Lovemore Madhuku called this move “totally unacceptable” and warned it will cause political instability. Rights lawyer Paida Saurombe said it is “a sad day for Zimbabwe” when the Constitution is “mutilated” by those who should protect it.

The Real Name for This

Opposition figures are not holding back. Job Sikhala called it “a coup by the incumbent to extend his term of office against the will of the people”. Jameson Timba of the Defend the Constitution Platform said: “What is unfolding in Zimbabwe is not constitutional reform. It is a constitutional coup”.

Think about that word: coup. A coup is when someone seizes power by force. Usually, we think of soldiers with guns. But this is different. This is a coup dressed in suits and legal documents. A coup that hides behind Cabinet statements and parliamentary votes. But it is still a coup—because it takes power away from the people and gives it to a few individuals.

Constitutional lawyer Advocate Thabani Moyo explained why this is illegal: “A constitution is enacted by the people, not by a single political party or faction. Parliament’s law-making power is confined to legislating for the peace, order, and good governance of the country. Replacing the constitution exceeds that mandate”.

What Did the President Promise?

President Mnangagwa has repeatedly said he is a constitutionalist. In 2018, he told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour that he would serve only two terms and leave office in 2028. He promised to “persuade the persuaders not to persuade him” to stay longer.

But now his own Cabinet has approved a Bill that breaks that promise. Jameson Timba pleaded with the President to honour his word. “History places a particular responsibility on the President,” Timba said.

Where is that President today? Will he stand by his promise, or will he let his loyalists destroy the Constitution he swore to defend?

Why You Should Care

You might be thinking: “This is politics. It does not affect me.” But it does.

When they take away your vote, they take away your voice. When they control the voters’ roll, they control who wins elections. When they remove watchdogs, there is no one to speak up when things go wrong. When they choose judges in secret, there is no one to protect you when the government treats you unfairly.

This is not about one man or one party. It is about whether Zimbabwe will remain a democracy or become a place where power is passed around among friends while ordinary people have nothing to say about it.

What Must Happen Now

The Bill still must go to Parliament. ZANU-PF has a two-thirds majority, so they can pass it easily if they stick together. But that does not make it right.

The government must hold a referendum. This is not negotiable. The 2013 Constitution was adopted by referendum. Any fundamental change must be approved the same way. No shortcuts. No excuses.

The President must keep his promise. President Mnangagwa can still stop this, Bill. He can tell Cabinet to withdraw it. He can tell his party that he will not benefit from an unconstitutional extension of power. He can choose to be remembered as a man who kept his word.

We must not be silent. Speak to your family. Talk to your neighbours. Share this article. Call radio shows. Write to your Member of Parliament. The government is counting on us to be tired, to be busy, to feel like our voices do not matter. But they do matter. They always have.

A Simple Truth

Here is the truth, as simple as I can say it:

The Constitution belongs to the people of Zimbabwe, not to ZANU-PF. Not to Cabinet. Not to the President.

You do not change someone else’s property without asking.

You do not rewrite the rules of the game while you are still playing.

You do not call yourself a democrat while taking away the people’s right to choose.

The government says this Bill will bring stability. But real stability comes from laws that the people trust and accept. Laws that are made with the people, not imposed on them. When you force a constitution on people without their consent, you do not create stability. You create resentment. You create conflict. You create a nation that does not believe in its own laws.

Zimbabwe deserves better than this. We fought too hard for our independence to give it away quietly. We voted too proudly for our Constitution to watch it be torn up by people who were never given that right.

They want to change the Constitution without your mandate.

Do not let them.

• Obert Masocha is a Zimbabwean based in the Diaspora. He writes in his personal capacity.