Zimbabwe finds itself at a perilous constitutional crossroads.
Six liberation war veterans—Reuben Zulu, Godfrey Gurira, Shoorai Nyamangodo, Joseph Chinyangare, Dogmore Knowledge Ndiya, and Joseph Chinguwa—last week issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the leadership of Parliament, demanding an immediate halt to Constitutional Amendment Bill (CAB3).
This is not merely a political dispute, but it is a profound challenge to the integrity of our legislative process from those who bled for this nation's freedom.
We implore the speaker of Parliament, Jacob Mudenda, and Senate president Mabel Chinomona to treat this petition with the utmost gravity.
The allegations raised are staggering as the war veterans claimed that the passage of CAB3 is "fundamentally flawed, substantively unconstitutional, and procedurally fraudulent."
Most damaging are the claims of systemic corruption, with reports that legislators were "induced, rewarded, or corrupted" by vehicles and cash payments to secure their votes.
As the veterans poignantly argued, "a vote bought by cash and keys is not a constitutional vote; it is an exhibit in a criminal inquiry."
Parliament possesses the internal "machinery to stop the rot," yet it has allowed the vote to proceed as if a constitutional amendment can be "washed clean by pretending not to smell the sewage."
Furthermore, the presiding officers must address the blatant attempt to circumvent Section 328 of the constitution.
The law is non-negotiable: an incumbent cannot benefit from a term-limit extension without the express approval of the people through a national referendum.
To bypass this protection is a brazen attempt to render the supreme law subject to the Bill, effectively nullifying the rule of law.
By allowing 210 MPs to vote while they were actively ignoring lawsuits from their own constituencies, Parliament has demonstrated a flagrant contempt for the judiciary and the citizenry.
Finally, we urge President Emmerson Mnangagwa to heed these concerns directly.
These veterans are his fellow comrades, who understand the sacrifices that secured Zimbabwe’s independence.
The president must recognise that actions taken in his name to weaken the constitution do not enhance his legacy instead, they cast a lasting shadow over it.
For the sake of the republic, Parliament must suspend all proceedings, institute a privileges inquiry, and refer these allegations of bribery to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission immediately.
The 72-hour clock is ticking and the soul of our democracy is at stake.