The public hearings for Zimbabwe’s proposed Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Bill No. 3 (CAB3) have concluded, but they leave behind a trail of political violence, legal chicanery, and the distinct smell of a dictatorship desperate to entrench itself. Far from being the "institution-strengthening" exercise claimed by the Attorney-General, CAB3 represents the most brazen attempt by ZANU PF to dismantle the democratic gains of the liberation struggle since the 2017 coup.
As ZAPU leader Sibangilizwe Nkomo rightly warned, the Bill seeks to strip citizens of their "hard-won right to vote”. If passed, this legislation will extend the presidential term to seven years, effectively abolishing the 2028 elections and allowing President Emmerson Mnangagwa to rule until 2030. Worse still, it proposes to end the direct election of the president by the people, handing that power to Members of Parliament instead. This is not governance; this is a parliamentary coup against the electorate.
A Systematic Assault on the Judiciary and Civil Liberties
The technical details of the Bill reveal a blueprint for authoritarianism. Legal watchdog Veritas has noted that the Bill will allow the President to appoint all judges from the Magistrates Court to the Chief Justice without public interviews, nominations, or any transparency. The Prosecutor-General will also be appointed at the President’s "sole discretion," removing any pretence of independence in the prosecution of political opponents.
Furthermore, the Bill abolishes the Zimbabwe Gender Commission and the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission, consolidating power into the hands of an unaccountable executive. These are not "reforms"; they are the tools of a regime that fears accountability and wants to silence watchdogs.
The Harassment of Opponents: Violence as a Political Tool
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The most damning evidence against CAB3 is not just the text of the Bill, but the brutal way the ruling party has enforced its "consultation" process. If ZANU PF is so confident that the people support this Bill, why have they resorted to thuggery to silence dissent?
In what can only be described as state-orchestrated terror, citizens who stood up to oppose the Bill have faced abduction, assault, and arbitrary arrest. Human rights lawyer Douglas Coltart was physically attacked during a hearing in Harare; his glasses were broken and his cell phone stolen by rowdy youths widely identified as ZANU PF supporters. In Chitungwiza, three young men who spoke to the media against the Bill were reportedly abducted and later found injured, allegedly at the hands of state security agents.
The intimidation is nationwide. In Bulawayo, a woman opposing the Bill was chased from a venue at Nketa Hall and attacked outside. Youth activist Denford Sithole was seized by unidentified individuals and later found in police custody charged for wearing a ZINASU T-shirt, a garment that is now apparently illegal.
The "Sham" Hearings and Manufactured Consent
Opposition leaders, including Tendai Biti and Lovemore Madhuku, have withdrawn from the process, labelling it a "fraudulent scam”. The public hearings were not designed to gather opinion but to "chlorinate" the process to give a superficial veneer of legality to a predetermined outcome.
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) has documented a disturbing escalation of reprisals against students, opposition leaders, and civil society members in the lead-up to these hearings, including torture and abductions. Meanwhile, the police have conveniently barred opposition demonstrations against the Bill while allowing ZANU PF to hold rallies where food hampers and bicycles are distributed to drum up support.
This is not democracy. This is a violent farce. By seeking to extend his term and handpick judges, Mnangagwa is proving that the promises of "Second Republic" renewal were a lie. We call on the international community to reject the results of these "consultations" and stand with the Zimbabwean citizens who are bleeding for the right to vote.
Francisca Chiduku is a Zimbabwean based in the Diaspora. She writes in her personal capacity.