HARARE — Three constitutional advocacy organisations have formally withdrawn from the ongoing public hearings on the proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3, declaring the process a sham and announcing a coordinated citizen-driven campaign in its place.
Jameson Timba, convenor of the Defend the Constitution Platform (DCP), made the announcement at a joint press conference in Harare on Wednesday, flanked by veteran opposition leader Tendai Biti of the Constitutional Defenders Forum (CDF) and Professor Lovemore Madhuku of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA).
The Bill, which has ignited fierce opposition across civil society, proposes a series of far-reaching changes to Zimbabwe’s constitutional order. Among its most contentious provisions is a proposal to extend the presidential term of office by two years, designed to keep President Emmerson Mnangagwa in power beyond 2028.
The Bill also proposes that the president be elected by Members of Parliament rather than directly by the people — a fundamental shift away from popular suffrage.
Other amendments would grant the president the power to appoint 10 senators, further consolidating executive control over the legislature. Opponents argue that taken together, the amendments represent a deliberate dismantling of the checks and balances enshrined in the 2013 constitution.
“This is not consultation. It is orchestration,” Timba said of an outreach by parliament to canvass public opinion on the planned amendments to the constitution.
He cited what he described as the systematic exclusion of dissenting voices, intimidation of citizens, and outright violence against those who sought to speak against the Bill.
“What we witnessed on March 31 in Harare, and indeed in other parts of the country, cannot be described as a genuine consultative process,” Timba said.
“Citizens were denied the opportunity to speak, voices were drowned out, and in some instances, violence and intimidation were deployed against those expressing dissenting views.”
The three organisations said they could no longer participate in or lend legitimacy to a process they described as “fundamentally flawed” and inconsistent with the spirit and letter of the constitution.
The March 30 to April 2 public consultations, which are non-binding, will culminate in a vote on the Bill by MPs, likely on May.
The groups were emphatic that their withdrawal from the hearings did not signal a retreat from the constitutional struggle. Timba announced that the DCP would establish a framework for lawful civic engagement anchored in Section 59 of the constitution, which guarantees the right to demonstrate and present petitions peacefully.
The platform, he said, would give citizens the ability to express their views freely, participate in organised civic action, and assert their constitutional rights.
The three organisations also issued a joint demand for a proper, comprehensive consultation process to be conducted in every constituency across the country.
The DCP, CDF and NCA announced they would establish a coordinated framework to act collectively in defence of the constitution. Timba said they would also be reaching out to a broader coalition of stakeholders, including the church and war veterans’ organisations.
“This is not about organisations,” Timba said. “It is about the people. It is about ensuring that the constitution remains a true expression of their will.”
The driving demand by the organisations is that the amendments be subjected to a referendum, which they argue is a constitutional requirement.
“We cannot legitimise a process that silences the very people it claims to consult. The constitution belongs to the people of Zimbabwe, and its future must be determined by them, not imposed upon them,” Timba said.
He called on all Zimbabweans to remain peaceful, vigilant and engaged, declaring that the defence of the constitution was now firmly in the hands of citizens.
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