Public consultations on the proposed Constitutional Amendment No. 3 (CAB3) Bill have been overshadowed by reports of violence, intimidation, and alleged abductions, raising concerns about the integrity of the outreach process.
The consultations, which opened on March 30 and will run until April 2 ahead of a parliamentary vote scheduled for May, are intended to gather public submissions on proposed changes that could, among other things, extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s tenure and the life of Parliament.
The first day of hearings was disrupted at multiple venues. In Bulawayo, proceedings at Nketa Hall broke down after a woman opposing the bill was chased from the venue and reportedly attacked outside, prompting organisers to cut the meeting short.
In Chitungwiza, three youths who had spoken to the media against the bill were reportedly abducted and later found injured, allegedly at the hands of state security agents.
In another incident in Bulawayo, youth activist Denford Sithole was taken by unidentified individuals shortly after presenting opposing views, and was later found in police custody, charged for wearing a Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) T-shirt.
Other activists were reportedly taken in unmarked vehicles in Bulawayo and elsewhere.
Witnesses at consultations in Harare’s satellite towns also reported that discussions were dominated by ruling party supporters.
Some attendees claimed that transport had been organised to bring participants, while dissenting voices were reluctant to speak openly, opting instead to submit written contributions.
At the Chitungwiza Aquatic Complex, observers said the atmosphere was tense, with opposing views largely silenced amid fears for personal safety.
Opposition leaders and civil society actors have criticised the consultations as an effort to “manufacture consensus” rather than genuinely gather public opinion.
Former Finance Minister Tendai Biti described the process as “a fraudulent scam,” claiming it was intended to create the illusion of public backing for the bill.
“Parliament’s public consultation process, which commenced on Monday, is a fraudulent scam that reflects the desperation and moral bankruptcy of the ragtag team pushing Agenda 2030.
“Through capture, coercion and brute force, the regime intends to manufacture a false consensus, a fakery that citizens are behind the grotesque piece of legislation now known as Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3, or CAB3,” Biti stated.
Legal expert Thabani Mpofu also questioned the credibility of the outreach, noting that without a national referendum, the town hall meetings amount to a “Zanu-PF engineered and self service process.”
“The effect of the town hall meetings is to give a facade of participation. It is to chlorinate the process of the amendment at the end of which Zanu-PF will argue that people participated when they knew that there would be no referendum and their views have for that reason been taken on board.
“In addition, the town hall meetings afford Zanu-PF a medium through which the people can remain focused on its unavailing processes as they fail to pursue their own strategies.
“We surely can’t spend all our time on a Zanu-PF engineered and self service process. We must instead pursue strategies aimed at countering this offense,” Advocate Mpofu noted.
Bulawayo Mayor David Coltart and former legislator Gift Siziba were among those blocked from speaking against the bill during the hearings, highlighting allegations of selective participation and intimidation.
Critics argue these practices have undermined the integrity of the consultation process and cast doubt on its legitimacy.
