Zim GBC News | Political Correspondent
HARARE – Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda is facing fresh legal pressure after a prominent advocacy group launched a formal challenge against the State over the “woefully inadequate” public consultation process for Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 (CAB3), alleging state-sponsored intimidation and logistical failures that silenced millions of Zimbabweans.
The Constitutional Defenders Forum (CDF), represented by human rights attorneys Tinashe Chinopfukutwa and Kelvin Kabaya of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), has petitioned Mudenda to immediately extend the consultation window, arguing that the four-day schedule—running from March 30 to April 2—denied the vast majority of citizens a meaningful voice in a process that could fundamentally alter the nation’s governance.
“Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 seeks to make far-reaching and drastic changes to the basic structure of the constitution and the state,” the lawyers argued in a sternly worded submission to the Speaker.
Despite the high stakes, the hearings were compressed into a mere 96-hour window across the entire country, a timeframe the CDF contends is grossly insufficient.
“Our client contends that the four day period is inadequate for all the Zimbabweans to have been afforded a reasonable opportunity for them to articulate and express their views regarding Constitutional Amendment Bill Number 3,” the submission read.
The CDF pointed out a significant discrepancy between the rushed timeline and existing legal provisions, which would have allowed consultations to extend over a 90-day period until May 2026. Activists described the compressed schedule as a “disconcerting attempt to bypass public scrutiny.”
Beyond the timeline, the CDF highlighted logistical failures that effectively disenfranchised large portions of the population. Parliament scheduled only one hearing per district, regardless of size or population density. In Masvingo province, which contains 26 constituencies, only seven meetings were convened.
The group argued this geographic distribution gives “undue weight” to smaller districts while silencing more populous areas, advocating instead for a constituency-based hearing model. Several venues were reportedly too small to accommodate crowds, leaving many would-be participants unable to enter or speak.
The challenge also contains harrowing accounts of violence and administrative bias. The CDF alleged hearings were actively policed by “thugs” and uncooperative moderators.
In Harare at the City Sports Centre, prominent human rights lawyer Douglas Coltart was reportedly assaulted and robbed of his mobile phone. Similar reports emerged from Bulawayo’s Nketa Hall, where university students, including Keegan Mathe, were allegedly attacked. Mathe was reportedly abducted by individuals in an unmarked vehicle following the assault.
In one striking incident, a woman who attempted to voice critical views was reportedly dragged from a venue and assaulted while police officers watched without intervening.
“No doubt, these events had a chilling effect on the remaining members of the public who wished to participate,” the lawyers noted in their letter to Mudenda.
The CDF also alleged the hearings were “choreographed” to favour supporters of the bill. In the capital, moderators reportedly refused to grant the floor to high-profile critics and legal experts, including Tendai Biti, Fadzai Mahere, and Lovemore Madhuku.
In Gweru, proceedings turned volatile when opposition politician Amos Chibaya attempted to object to amendments regarding the involvement of traditional chiefs in politics. Chibaya was heckled and threatened before a youth forcibly seized the microphone from him.
The CDF has called on Mudenda to cause Parliament to reconvene public hearings with heightened security measures, ensuring all citizens can “effectively, reasonably and adequately express their views on the bill” without fear of retribution.
Mudenda has now been cited in several court challenges seeking to block the proposed constitutional amendments.
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