LONDON – Zimbabweans living in the United Kingdom today gathered outside Zimbabwe House on The Strand to mark Independence Day with a protest against President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s proposed Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 3) Bill.
The demonstration, organised by the Citizens Protest Movement, began at midday, drawing members of the Zimbabwean diaspora who voiced strong opposition to the sweeping constitutional changes. Protesters demanded that any amendments be subjected to a national referendum rather than passed through parliament.
Participants criticised key provisions in the Bill, including plans to remove the direct election of the president and transfer that authority to parliament, extend presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years, and delay the next elections from 2028 to 2030. Other contentious measures include shifting voter registration from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission back to the Registrar-General’s Office, and increasing presidential influence over judicial appointments and the Senate.
For many in the diaspora, the proposed removal of direct presidential elections carries particular significance, as it would further undermine prospects for a meaningful diaspora vote—long promised but yet to be implemented.
Makomborero Haruzivishe, speaking on behalf of the Constitutional Defenders Forum, said the reforms represent a direct assault on democratic principles.
“The attempt to take away Zimbabweans’ right to directly elect their president and hand that power to legislators vulnerable to manipulation is a betrayal of the people’s will,” he said. “We cannot accept a system where fundamental rights are quietly dismantled.”
Chenai Mutambaruse of the Zim for All Foundation argued that the proposed amendments worsen existing electoral concerns.
“Instead of addressing the flaws exposed in the last election, this Bill entrenches them—weakening accountability, limiting participation, and concentrating power in the executive,” she said.
Organisers deliberately chose Independence Day—marking 46 years since Zimbabwe gained independence in 1980—to stage the protest, framing it as a defence of the democratic freedoms enshrined in the 2013 Constitution.
Critics also questioned the legitimacy of parliament’s role in passing the amendments, citing the controversial recall of opposition MPs linked to Sengezo Tshabangu, which they argue has distorted the representative balance of the legislature.
As chants echoed along The Strand, protesters said the message was clear: Zimbabwe’s independence, they argued, must not be reduced to symbolism while democratic rights are eroded at home.
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