Self-styled Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) secretary-general Sengezo Tshabangu is locked in high-level talks with senior Zanu PF officials ahead of a crucial Senate vote on the controversial Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 (CAB 3), expected this afternoon.
The last-minute engagement comes as the ruling party races to secure enough votes to push the Bill through the Upper House, after it sailed through the National Assembly last week with the backing of legislators aligned to Tshabangu.
CAB 3 was tabled in the Senate on Tuesday, where it underwent both the First and Second Readings, setting the stage for today's decisive vote.
Zanu PF controls 33 Senate seats, while the opposition has 26 elected senators.
The Upper House also comprises 18 traditional chiefs and two senators representing persons with disabilities.
The Bill requires at least 54 votes to pass.
NewsDay understands that Zanu PF secretary-general Jacob Mudenda and other senior ruling party officials have been leading negotiations with Tshabangu's camp in a bid to secure support for the constitutional changes.
However, sources said Tshabangu today held a meeting with an even more influential office within the ruling establishment, as efforts intensified to conclude a deal before the Senate sits.
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Tshabangu's spokesperson, Nqobizitha Mlilo, confirmed the meeting, describing it only as involving "the office that matters".
"The issue is receiving serious attention from people who matter, but the nuclear option remains available. We are aware that the matter is receiving serious urgent attention from decision-makers, and we hope they act in the national interest."
Tshabangu is reportedly threatening what his allies describe as a "nuclear weapon" should Zanu PF fail to accede to his demands.
The former opposition senator, whose bloc of legislators helped Zanu PF secure the two-thirds majority needed to pass the Bill in the National Assembly, is understood to have demanded the formation of a "government of national consensus" in exchange for backing CAB 3.
"The support for Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 was never unconditional. There are issues that must be addressed in the national interest, and discussions are continuing," Mlilo said.
The outcome of the negotiations is expected to determine whether Tshabangu's senators back the Bill—a development that could prove decisive in today's vote.
The proposed constitutional amendments have generated fierce debate, particularly provisions that seek to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa's term, as well as those of the sitting Parliament and local authorities, by two years.
Senators are expected to resume debate on the Bill this afternoon before proceeding to a vote.
