The Defend the Constitution Platform (DCP), led by Jameson Timba, has taken its opposition to Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 beyond Zimbabwe's borders, formally engaging the United Nations, the African Union (AU), and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to raise concerns about the bill's process and substance.

International Escalation

Timba said the Constitution could not be treated as an internal political matter to be resolved by the ruling party alone. "The Constitution belongs to the people and any fundamental change to it must return to the people through a referendum," he said. He also said: "The constitution is not merely a domestic political instrument but the foundation of our democratic order."

The DCP simultaneously launched a petition campaign titled "One Million Voices for the Constitution," calling on citizens to demand a national referendum before any amendments are enacted.

Divisions Within Parliament

DCP parliament coordinator Agency Gumbo said that some legislators within ZANU-PF (Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front) had privately communicated reservations about the proposed changes, though none had made public statements to that effect. Gumbo also called for legal clarity on how Parliament's required two-thirds majority threshold would be calculated when the bill comes to a vote.

Call for Unity

The DCP appealed to civil society organisations, opposition parties, and individual citizens to set aside institutional differences in opposing the bill. The platform said "unity around constitutional principles is more important than our individual or organisational identity."

The bill, if passed, would eliminate direct presidential elections in favour of a parliamentary vote — a chamber where ZANU-PF commands a two-thirds majority — and extend presidential and parliamentary terms by two years to 2030. It would also abolish the Zimbabwe Gender Commission.

Parliament has scheduled just 64 public hearings over four days beginning March 30 — a timeline that has drawn criticism from legal experts as constitutionally inadequate.

Additional reporting sourced from NewsDay Zimbabwe. The Granite Post has independently verified key details.