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HARARE – The sun sets over Harare’s central business district, casting long, jagged shadows across the pavement of the Copacabana bus terminus. To the thousands of commuters scrambling for the last “kombi” home, it is a place of…
HARARE – The sun sets over Harare’s central business district, casting long, jagged shadows across the pavement of the Copacabana bus terminus. To the thousands of commuters scrambling for the last “kombi” home, it is a place of noise, exhaust fumes, and the frantic energy of survival. But as the legitimate bustle of the day […]
The post The Copacabana Drug Cartels: Harare’s mutoriro hotspots revealed… and how they use fruit boxes to hide drugs first appeared on My Zimbabwe News.Source: Plumtree ambulance stolen and crashed, emergency services suspended — CITEZW Residents of Plumtree have been left without council ambulance services after the town’s ambulance was stolen and later involved in a road traffic accident, sustaining extensive damage. In a public notice issued on Monday, Plumtree Town Secretary Thembelani Nyoni said the ambulance was stolen […]
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Source: Plumtree ambulance stolen and crashed, emergency services suspended — CITEZW
Residents of Plumtree have been left without council ambulance services after the town’s ambulance was stolen and later involved in a road traffic accident, sustaining extensive damage.
In a public notice issued on Monday, Plumtree Town Secretary Thembelani Nyoni said the ambulance was stolen in the early hours of 8 June 2026.
Although the vehicle has since been recovered, Nyoni said it was involved in a crash while in the possession of the alleged thieves, leaving it heavily damaged and unable to provide emergency medical transport services.
“The vehicle has since been located. However, during the period when it was unlawfully taken, it was involved in a road traffic accident and sustained extensive damage,” Nyoni said in the statement.
As a result, council ambulance services have been suspended while authorities assess the extent of the damage and determine whether the vehicle can be repaired or if a replacement ambulance will be required.
The suspension is expected to affect residents who rely on the local authority’s ambulance for emergency medical transport.
Nyoni urged members of the public requiring emergency medical transportation to make alternative arrangements during the disruption.
“Members of the public requiring emergency medical transport services are encouraged to make alternative arrangements during this period,” he said.
The council did not provide details on how the ambulance was stolen, where the accident occurred, whether anyone was injured in the crash, or whether any arrests had been made.
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Source: Why a referendum on CAB3 is unavoidable — CITEZW By Senator Douglas Togaraseyi Mwonzora It is no longer debatable that the ZANU PF faction championing the current attempts to amend the constitution wants to avoid a referendum at all costs. While they argue that a referendum is unnecessary under the current constitution, the real […]
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Source: Why a referendum on CAB3 is unavoidable — CITEZW
By Senator Douglas Togaraseyi Mwonzora
It is no longer debatable that the ZANU PF faction championing the current attempts to amend the constitution wants to avoid a referendum at all costs. While they argue that a referendum is unnecessary under the current constitution, the real reason is the certainty of defeat by Zimbabweans in the referendum.
Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi and Hon. Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana argue that there is no need to subject the Bill to referendum because it does not amend the Bill of Rights. What that means is that they agree that if the amendment were to amend the Bill of Rights, then a referendum will be necessary.
In terms of section 328(6), a constitutional bill that seeks to amend the Bill of Rights must be subjected to a referendum within three (3) months after it has received a vote of 2/3 majority in both Houses of Parliament. Only where the majority of voters in the referendum approve of it, will it be submitted to the President to be signed into law.
Our Bill of Rights starts from Section 48 and ends with Section 87 of the constitution. Needless to say therefore that Section 67 is within the Bill of Rights. Section 67 starts by giving every Zimbabwean citizen the right to free, fair and regular elections for any elective public office. The presidency is an elective public office. The right to elect is not confined to any group of individuals, but to every Zimbabwean.
Section 67 goes on to provide that every Zimbabwean citizen above the age of 18 has the right to vote in allelections and referendums and does so in secret. For the sake of completeness, this right is given to every adult Zimbabwean and not only to Zimbabweans holding a particular office.
The current Bill however, provides that the President will only be elected by members of Parliament. Therefore, by confining voters for president only to Members of Parliament, the amendment has changed the provision that every adult Zimbabwean has the right to vote for the President. In other words, the law has been changed to read thus, “every Zimbabwean has the right to vote for any elective public office, provided that when it comes to the election of President only those Zimbabweans who are Members of Parliament shall have the right to vote”.
This, by implication, fundamentally changes the law (Bill of rights) as contained in Section 67 of the constitution. By the very argument of Zanu PF, Mangwana and Ziyambi, the Bill must be subjected to referendum because it amends the Bill of Rights.
The constitution provides in Section 328(7) that, if there is an amendment, “the effect of which is to extend the length of time that a person may hold or occupy any public office”, then the incumbent shall not benefit from the extension. It is not in dispute that the amendment seeks to change the length of time of the current President and the Parliament from 5 years to 7 years.
The amendment also seeks to make the current President and Parliament to benefit from the extension. Therefore, the proposed amendment seeks to amend Section 328(7) by implication when it comes to the current President and the current Members of Parliament. That change requires a referendum, because in terms of Section 328(9), when amending the section, it must be amended using the same procedures as in the Bill of Rights. That means it has to be subjected to referendum.
There is also a final problem with the current Bill that it contains both an extension clause and a clause requiring the incumbents to benefit from such extension in the same Bill. However, the constitution says in Section 328(9) that the two amendments cannot be put in the same Bill. That makes the amendment inherently illegal.
Therefore, by their own arguments, Minister Ziyambi and Zanu PF cannot avoid a referendum on the Bill as it currently stands. If the referendum on the extension from 5 years to 7 years succeeds, then there has to be a second referendum if the current President and Members of Parliament are to benefit.
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Source: Mwonzora defies death threat over ex-general -Newsday Zimbabwe Douglas Mwonzora MDC leader Douglas Mwonzora has struck a defiant tone, vowing to meet retired Air Marshal Henry Muchena despite alleged death threats warning him against engaging with the former military chief. The threats come amid escalating political tension surrounding retired military officials’ opposition to the […]
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Source: Mwonzora defies death threat over ex-general -Newsday Zimbabwe
Douglas MwonzoraMDC leader Douglas Mwonzora has struck a defiant tone, vowing to meet retired Air Marshal Henry Muchena despite alleged death threats warning him against engaging with the former military chief.
The threats come amid escalating political tension surrounding retired military officials’ opposition to the Constitution Amendment No 3 Bill (CAB 3), under debate in Parliament.
CAB 3 Bill seeks to extend the terms of the President, MPs, senators and councillors from five to seven years, while also proposing that Parliament, rather than the electorate, chooses the President. These developments have triggered intense public debate, legal challenges, and reports of intimidation targeting activists and political figures.
On Saturday, the MDC confirmed that Mwonzora received a death threat via text message. Written in Shona, the message warned: “Siyana zvako nekuda kusangana naMuchena ndoopauchafira iwe” (Don’t meet Rtd General Muchena, that is where you will die).
Mwonzora told NewsDay that while he had not initially planned to meet Muchena, the threat has pushed him to consider doing so.
“What they cannot do is threaten Zimbabweans and Muchena is a Zimbabwean. I meet every person if the need arises,” he said.
Muchena is leading a group of retired generals and former civil servants urging President Emmerson Mnangagwa to abandon plans to extend his tenure.
While critics argue these far-reaching changes require a national referendum, Zanu PF and Parliament maintain such a vote is unnecessary. Muchena’s group has formally petitioned Parliament to halt the process. During a meeting on May 18 and 19, Mnangagwa reportedly dismissed their concerns, stating, “whoever wins, wins”.
The atmosphere of intimidation appears to be widening. Last week, two activists reported receiving death threats linked to their opposition to the Bill.
Human rights activist Youngerson Matete, who challenged the parliamentary proceedings in the High Court, reported that a bullet was delivered to his doorstep alongside a message demanding he withdraws his application. Despite the chilling delivery, Matete remains committed to his cause.
Similarly, Joelson Mugari, an organiser for the National Democratic Working Group, reportedly received a death threat from an anonymous caller after notifying police of a planned peaceful demonstration.
Mwonzora has called on Zanu PF to end the intimidation and allow citizens to express their views through a referendum.
Political analyst Rejoice Ngwenya condemned the threats as “unacceptable”, suggesting they stem from individuals desperate to protect “ill-gotten wealth”.
Ngwenya urged Mnangagwa to hold those responsible to account, warning that such actions are “tarnishing the image of his regime”.
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Source: Tshabangu threatens to derail CAB 3 -Newsday Zimbabwe NEGOTIATIONS between a parliamentary caucus led by self-styled Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) secretary-general Sengezo Tshabangu and Zanu PF over the controversial Constitution Amendment No 3 Bill (CAB 3) remain deadlocked. Tshabangu has issued an ultimatum to the ruling party, giving it until midnight tomorrow to […]
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Source: Tshabangu threatens to derail CAB 3 -Newsday Zimbabwe
NEGOTIATIONS between a parliamentary caucus led by self-styled Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) secretary-general Sengezo Tshabangu and Zanu PF over the controversial Constitution Amendment No 3 Bill (CAB 3) remain deadlocked.
Tshabangu has issued an ultimatum to the ruling party, giving it until midnight tomorrow to secure a political agreement or risk the Bill’s failure in Parliament.
The standoff underscores the burgeoning political leverage of Tshabangu’s bloc.
While Zanu PF commands a comfortable majority in the National Assembly, the ruling party requires support from Tshabangu-aligned legislators to secure the critical two-thirds majority needed in the Senate to pass the amendment.
Tshabangu disclosed the impasse yesterday in a statement issued via his spokesperson, Nqobizitha Mlilo.
He made it clear that the party’s caucus will not automatically endorse the proposed changes, demanding “meaningful and good-faith concessions” before taking a final stance.
Despite the friction, Tshabangu described the nature of the talks as professional.
“So far, both the minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Hon Ziyambi Ziyambi and the Zanu PF chief whip, Hon Togarepi, have conducted themselves in the most exemplary way,” he said, noting that engagements have been “cordial” and “respectful,” Mlilo said.
However, the core of the dispute remains unresolved.
“We are not simply going to be an implementation arm of a Zanu PF conference resolution. We are not voting cows,” Mlilo warned.
He insisted that Zanu PF must offer a “sincere, broad-based political settlement” that serves the national interest rather than a partisan agenda.
The deadline for negotiators is set for midnight Tuesday, ahead of a pivotal caucus meeting on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, where Tshabangu’s legislators will determine their final vote.
“We need a solid and irrevocable political settlement,” Mlilo said, warning that failure to reach a deal will force adjustments to the Bill’s parliamentary timetable.
This sudden friction comes as a surprise to some, as Tshabangu-aligned legislators were among the most vocal supporters of CAB 3 during National Assembly debates last week.
By positioning his bloc as the gatekeeper of the Senate, Tshabangu has become a central player in determining the fate of the legislation.
While specific demands remain private, Tshabangu has previously advocated for a Government of National Unity (GNU), arguing that Zimbabwe’s economic and political crises require formal co-operation between rival parties.
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