HARARE, Apr. 15 (NewsDay Live) - Zimbabweans living in the United Kingdom will stage a protest outside Zimbabwe House in London on Saturday, April 18, opposing proposed constitutional changes they say would weaken democracy and further centralise power in Harare.
The demonstration, set for 12pm outside the Zimbabwe Embassy on The Strand, coincides with Zimbabwe’s Independence Day celebrations and is being organised by the Citizens Protest Movement, a coalition of UK-based Zimbabwean civic groups.
Organisers say they are protesting the proposed Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 3) Bill, which critics argue could extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term by two years to 2030, remove the public’s right to directly elect the president, and delay the next elections.
The government has not formally confirmed all the proposals as described by campaigners. However, debate around constitutional reform and possible term-extension measures has generated growing controversy in Zimbabwe and within the diaspora.
“This Bill represents a significant step backwards for Zimbabwe’s democracy,” said Chenai Mutambaruse, spokesperson for Zim for All Foundation, one of the groups backing the protest.
“Instead of addressing the challenges exposed in the last election, this Bill is entrenching them, further weakening accountability, limiting citizen participation, and concentrating power in the Presidency. This has us concerned not only for today, but for the Zimbabwe we will leave behind for future generations.”
Makomborero Haruzivishe, diaspora spokesperson for the Constitutional Defenders Forum (CDF), said Zimbabweans abroad were particularly alarmed by reports that direct presidential elections could be replaced by a parliamentary vote.
“This Bill effectively undermines the people’s sovereign will,” he said.
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“The move to strip Zimbabweans of the right to directly elect their president, and transfer that power to legislators who, as seen in the current Parliament, are susceptible to bribery and manipulation, is an attack on the democratic will of every Zimbabwean.”
He added: “The diaspora stands firmly with those inside Zimbabwe who refuse to accept this assault on their democracy.”
Zimbabwe’s diaspora community contributes millions of dollars annually in remittances but remains largely excluded from voting, unless they return home or fall into limited categories such as diplomats.
Campaigners argue that if the president is no longer directly elected by citizens, prospects for a meaningful diaspora vote would effectively disappear.
