Source: Opposition to 2030 Bill intensifies -Newsday Zimbabwe
Opposition MDC party leader Douglas Mwonzora notified the police of plans to stage a demonstration in Harare against the Bill as resistance to the proposed changes escalates.
OPPOSITION to the proposed Constitutional Amendment No 3 Bill has brought together critics across the political spectrum ahead of parliamentary-led public hearings.
The sessions are scheduled to run from March 30 to April 2, 2026, as authorities prepare to solicit public input on the controversial amendments.
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights has urged authorities to ensure safety, freedom of expression and peaceful participation in the upcoming public hearings.
Opposition MDC party leader Douglas Mwonzora notified the police of plans to stage a demonstration in Harare against the Bill as resistance to the proposed changes escalates.
According to a letter dated March 24, 2026, the party intends to hold a peaceful protest on April 4, starting at Africa Unity Square.
The correspondence, addressed to the Officer Commanding Harare Central District, described the demonstration as a lawful exercise.
The move comes amid growing tension between authorities and opposition actors over campaigns against the proposed constitutional changes.
Police have recently barred opposition gatherings and outreach programmes, citing failure to adhere to the provisions of the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act, effectively restricting mobilisation against the Bill.
The crackdown has already led to high-profile arrests, including that of politician Tendai Biti, convener of the Constitutional Defenders Forum, raising concern over a shrinking democratic space.
Yet dissent against the Bill is not confined to opposition circles. Some individuals aligned with the ruling Zanu PF party have publicly questioned the amendments.
Pro-government supporter Rutendo Matinyarare has openly distanced himself from the push for constitutional amendments, arguing that he cannot support efforts to extend presidential terms without a referendum.
“I don’t believe in telling the good story for leaders that want to force a constitutional amendment that gives the President a term extension through parliamentary majority, without a referendum,” Matinyarare said on his post on social media.
He warned against concentrating power in Parliament, questioning the integrity of lawmakers, adding that such a system could enable future leaders to manipulate legislators for personal gain.
Matinyarare also criticised what he described as the use of State institutions to suppress dissent, saying that risks isolating Zimbabwe internationally and undermining democratic principles.
“I don’t want to give a term extension to a president who allows our State apparatus to be used to beat, imprison, and burn the property of those who disagree with him, risking the country being put under new sanctions or being invaded by the West,” he said.
On collapsing healthcare services, he said: “The problem is that since Zanu PF got another mandate in the 2023 elections and since sanctions were removed in March 2024, our leaders have spent more time focused on promoting 2030 than buying ambulances.”
Columnist Reason Wafawarova weighed in, arguing that growing dissent reflects a shift in public sentiment rather than personal grievances.
Wafawarova dismissed claims that critics of the proposed law are motivated by bitterness, instead suggesting that many are drawing a line on constitutional principles.
“What we are witnessing is not a mass exodus from patriotism. It is a convergence towards principle,” he said.
Outspoken opposition politician Job Sikhala, who is also the founder of the National Democratic Working Group (NDWG), said Zimbabwe faced a constitutional coup.
Sikhala said NGWG was waiting for response from the AU to its petition criticising the Bill, adding “we will not tire nor surrender our push to stop the 2030 train”.
A diaspora lobby group has also petitioned Parliament to withdraw the proposed Bill, arguing that it undermines democratic principles and reverses gains made under the 2013 Constitution.
The Zimbabwe Diaspora Vote Initiative (ZDVI), representing an estimated four million Zimbabweans living abroad, submitted its concerns in a petition dated March 24, 2026, addressed to Clerk of Parliament Kennedy Chokuda.
ZDVI chairperson Rosewiter Mangiroza said the amendments are “retrogressive” and risk eroding constitutional safeguards.
The group strongly opposed the transfer of voter registration from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to the Registrar-General’s Office, arguing this compromises electoral independence.
The organisation also rejected proposals to have the President elected by Parliament instead of through a popular vote, saying it contradicts the liberation struggle principle of “one man, one vote.”
“Zimbabweans must retain the right to directly elect their President. This is central to democratic legitimacy,” Mangiroza said.
ZDVI criticised plans to extend presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years, arguing that longer terms weaken accountability.
The group warned that the proposed changes, including allowing traditional leaders to engage in partisan politics and dissolving a key commission, can undermine transparency and judicial independence.
“The Constitution is the foundation of Zimbabwe’s democracy. Any amendment must strengthen — not weaken — its core principles,” Mangiroza said.
Chokuda is yet to respond to the petition.
Even within ruling party ranks, there is unease over the handling of critics, particularly following arrests and disruptions linked to anti-Bill campaigns, highlighting the widening divide over constitutional reform in Zimbabwe.
