VILLAGERS in several parts of the country have raised alarm over a reported door-to-door campaign by Zanu PF structures demanding signatures in support of Constitutional Amendment No 3 Bill (CAB3).
This is amid claims that the exercise is being used to pledge allegiance to President Emmerson Mnangagwa as a life president.
NewsDay is reliably informed that ruling party local structures, including ward secretaries and district co-ordinating committees have been moving from one household to the other with pre-drafted forms in support of the proposed constitutional changes.
According to sources, village heads have been instructed to compile registers of signatories and ensure that every household participates in the exercise.
However, some villagers who spoke to NewsDay expressed concern over the contents of the forms, saying they go beyond supporting CAB3.
“We are alarmed,” said one villager.
“People ought not to be forced to say they support Mnangagwa.
“Support should be voluntary. We need votes, not coerced signatures.”
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Villagers alleged that those who refuse to sign are being threatened with exclusion from government food aid programmes and agricultural inputs, while others fear eviction from their ancestral lands.
“Some village heads are even warning of banishment for those seen as defiant,” another villager said.
“They say they cannot tolerate people who challenge authority.”
Sources indicated that in many cases, villagers are signing the forms without fully understanding their contents.
“Some don’t even bother to read what they are signing.
“There is pressure and fear,” one of the sources told NewsDay.
“Even if you read and understand what it says, you don’t have a choice. So to be safe, you just sign.”
The completed forms are reportedly set to be submitted to Parliament as evidence of grassroots support for the constitutional changes.
Zanu PF director for information Farai Marapira dismissed the claims, saying the party has no resolution supporting Mnangagwa as a life president.
“Our resolutions are clear and transparent,” Marapira said.
“The party communicates through proper channels, not through such petitions.
“We do not have any resolution on a life presidency.”
CAB3 has sparked widespread debate, with critics warning that it can further concentrate power in the Executive and undermine democratic principles.
Among its key provisions, the Bill seeks to take away powers of the electorate to elect a President and give them to legislators.
Public hearings conducted last month on the Bill were marred by chaos and violence.
Opposition parties and civil society groups accuse police of banning or restricting gatherings intended to discuss or mobilise against the Bill.
The proposed changes have triggered several court challenges.
One such case has been filed by war veterans being represented by constitutional lawyer Lovemore Madhuku.
They argue that Mnangagwa violated the Constitution by presiding over a Cabinet that approved the Bill that seeks to extend his term.
The matter is set to be heard on May 20.
Critics have further alleged victimisation of citizens and activists opposed to the Bill, raising concern over shrinking democratic space.
