Sithembinkosi L Jiyane
Crimes & Court Reporter
www.zimgbcnews.co.zw<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u200eZimbabwe\u2019s political temperature is rising fast as Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 turns into the centre of a nationwide storm, drawing sharp reactions from civic groups, legal minds, and now, the youths.
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\u200eWhat began as Cabinet\u2019s reported approval of proposed constitutional changes has exploded into a full-scale public debate. At stake? How the President is chosen, how long leaders stay in office, and who controls key democratic institutions.
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\u200eOne of the boldest proposals would scrap the direct election of the President by citizens and instead hand that power to Members of Parliament. In simple terms: voters would elect MPs, and MPs would elect the President.
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\u200eThe Bill also proposes stretching presidential and parliamentary terms from five years to seven. Critics say that\u2019s not just an amendment, it\u2019s a political plot twist that could reshape Zimbabwe\u2019s electoral calendar beyond 2028.
\u200eAnd that\u2019s not all.
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\u200eThe number of Senators could increase from 80 to 90, with the President appointing the additional ten. Voter registration duties could shift from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to the Registrar-General\u2019s Office. Public interviews for judges, once hailed as a transparency breakthrough, could be scrapped.
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\u200eThe Zimbabwe Gender Commission could be dissolved, with its functions folded into the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission.
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\u200eTraditional leaders could also be allowed to openly participate in politics, breaking with the long-standing constitutional bar on partisan involvement.
\u200eAs the proposals stack up, so does the pressure.
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\u200eCivic organisations like the Defend the Constitution Platform (DCP) and the Constitution Defence Forum (CDF) have stepped into the ring, warning that the amendments threaten constitutional democracy and urging citizens to remain vigilant.
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\u200eBut the loudest entrance may have come from an unexpected corner, the youths.
\u200eA group calling itself The Citizens Youths of Zimbabwe has unleashed a dramatic list of 50 direct questions aimed squarely at President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi.
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\u200eTheir tone? Bold.
\u200eTheir message? Answer us.
\u200e\u201cWhy did you do this to our Constitution?\u201d
\u200e\u201cWho benefits?\u201d
\u200e\u201cDid you consult the people?\u201d
\u200e\u201cWhy extend presidential term limits?\u201d
\u200e\u201cHow will you ensure free and fair elections?\u201d
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\u200eFrom corruption and unemployment to youth empowerment, poverty, education, media freedom, land reform and the economy, no topic was left untouched.
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\u200eIn a statement penned by Cmde Calvin Tinarwo, the youths declared that their questions are not an attack, but a civic duty.
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\u200e\u201cThe Constitution belongs to the people. Any change to it must reflect the will of the people”, the statement reads.
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\u200ePolitical analysts say the unfolding drama signals more than just disagreement over legal clauses, it reflects a deeper battle over power, participation, and the future direction of the country.
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\u200eAs Bill No. 3 moves through Parliament, Zimbabwe finds itself at a crossroads: a nation debating not just amendments, but identity, not just law, but legacy.
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\u200eOne thing is certain, the Constitution conversation is no longer confined to boardrooms and parliamentary corridors.
\u200eIt\u2019s now in the streets, on radio waves, in WhatsApp groups, and in the voices of young Zimbabweans asking one powerful question:
\u200eWho owns the Constitution?
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\u200e
\u200eConstitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 has thrown Zimbabwe into a storm of controversy, igniting fierce debates and sparking youth-led demands for transparency and accountability.
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\u200eWith changes threatening to reshape presidential powers, elections, and governance, the nation is gripped by a high-stakes struggle over who truly holds the Constitution, and who decides the country\u2019s future.
\u200e<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stay Connected with Zim GBC News: Sithembinkosi L JiyaneCrimes & Court Reporterwww.zimgbcnews.co.zw \u200eZimbabwe\u2019s political temperature is rising fast as Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 turns into the centre of a nationwide storm, drawing sharp reactions from… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12518,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,109],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12517","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","category-politics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12517","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12517"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12517\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12519,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12517\/revisions\/12519"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12518"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12517"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12517"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12517"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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