CONSTITUTION Defenders Forum (CDF) national convener and former Finance minister, Tendai Biti, has warned that legislators supporting the proposed Constitution Amendment No 3 Bill (CAB 3) are pushing Zimbabwe towards instability and national decline.
Biti made the remarks in an interview with NewsDay on the sidelines of the burial of former Mutasa North Member of Parliament David Chimhini’s wife Callista, in Honde Valley’s Green Area, Manicaland province, on Wednesday.
The funeral was attended by Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, who was accompanied by his wife, Miniyothabo.
CAB 3, which critics argue alters key constitutional provisions without a public referendum, has exposed deep fault lines in the ruling Zanu PF party and opposition parties, raising urgent questions about parliamentary impartiality, legislative legitimacy and the integrity of Zimbabwe’s constitutional reform process.
The controversial Bill seeks, among other changes, to extend the electoral cycle from five to seven years and introduce a parliamentary method of electing the President.
Speaking on the proposed constitutional changes, Biti said Zimbabweans were overwhelmingly opposed to the Bill and vowed to continue resisting it.
“Millions of Zimbabweans are against CAB 3,” he said.
“This is a struggle and will not succeed.
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“Those that are pushing for CAB 3 are pushing for our country to fall over the cliff edge.
“We will not accept that and we will resist that.”
Biti said even if the Bill were to pass in Parliament, opponents would continue challenging it.
“Even if they do manage to force it through Parliament, we will reject it,” he said.
“This pushes the country to a knife edge.
“It pushes our country onto a precipice.”
Biti acknowledged legislators who voiced opposition to the proposed constitutional amendments during the ongoing national debate.
Former MDC Alliance principal Mathias Guchutu also highlighted the ills of CAB 3, urging Members of Parliament to vote against the proposed Bill, which he described as “not even an amendment” but “a new constitution”.
Speaking to NewsDay yesterday, Guchutu argued that the changes amount to a complete overhaul of the Constitution of Zimbabwe rather than a simple amendment.
“All the parliamentarians should (say) no to the Bill,” he said.
“To me, the amendment is not even an amendment, it is like a new constitution.
“But anyway, let’s talk of the amendment. What is the agreed term?
“It is my prayer that we can even take advantage of this open voting system, in that all the parliamentarians can actually agree to vote no.”
Guchutu expressed concern over the provisions he believes can alter key constitutional principles, including issues relating to presidential and legislative terms of office.
He warned that approving such changes can create a precedent for future amendments with far-reaching consequences.
“So, we need all the necessary voices to be in one place, so that even if it succeeds, we still continue from that note,” Guchutu said.
“We should not let this thing sail through because it might be two years today, it might be five years tomorrow, it might be 10.
“Nothing will stop them from doing that because they will actually have seen that it is an open road. We cannot have people rolling over us.
“If we can amend this Constitution to that extent, it means we can do anything.”
The former opposition leader said some legislators might have personal interests in the outcome of the proposed changes, but urged them to prioritise national interests and democratic principles.
The Constitution Amendment No 3 Bill has sparked intense discussion across the country, with supporters arguing that it will reform governance structures, while critics contend that it undermines democratic principles and the constitutional rights of citizens to directly elect their President.
