Parliament's decision to conduct only 64 public hearings over four days for Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 has drawn sharp condemnation from legal experts, opposition politicians, and civic groups, who argue the process falls far short of the standard required for a change of this constitutional magnitude.

What the Bill Proposes

The bill would abolish direct presidential elections, transferring that power to Parliament — where ZANU-PF (Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front) holds a two-thirds majority — and extend both presidential and parliamentary terms by two years, shifting any transition from 2028 to 2030. It would also eliminate the Zimbabwe Gender Commission.

The hearings are scheduled from March 30 to April 2. Harare, home to more than two million residents and spanning two of Zimbabwe's 210 electoral constituencies, has been allocated just two days of hearings. Bulawayo, the country's second city, receives one day.

Experts Reject the Process

Jameson Timba of the Defend the Constitution Platform (DCP) said: "This is plainly insufficient for a constitutional amendment of such magnitude." Legal expert Douglas Coltart was more direct. "To have one meeting for two million people is crazy," Coltart said.

Constitutional lawyer Lovemore Madhuku called the schedule "completely unbelievable" and described the planned process as "a meaningless exercise," saying a minimum of 2,000 public meetings would be necessary for a credible consultation. The 2013 Constitution, by comparison, was preceded by 4,821 public meetings held across 1,950 wards over 105 days.

Broader Resistance

Police have banned independent public meetings convened to discuss the amendments. MDC-T (Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai) leader Douglas Mwonzora reported that women were attacked during International Women's Day commemorations in Bulawayo, an incident he linked to the heightened political climate surrounding the bill.

Opposition to the bill has also emerged from within ZANU-PF itself, from a faction associated with Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, indicating that resistance is not confined to opposition parties or civil society.

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