Tendai Biti to address Leicester town hall on Zimbabwe’s CAB3 debate

A public meeting on Zimbabwe’s controversial Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 (CAB3) will be held in Leicester this weekend, with senior opposition figure Tendai Biti expected to lead discussions on what organisers describe as a growing constitutional crisis.

The event, organised by the Constitution Defenders Forum (CDF) UK Federation, comes as Parliament debates proposed constitutional changes that have sparked fierce opposition from political parties, civil society groups, church organisations and legal experts.

Biti, who serves as convener of the Constitution Defenders Forum, is expected to provide an in-depth analysis of the proposed amendments and their implications for Zimbabwe’s constitutional order.

A constitutional lawyer, former Finance Minister and veteran pro-democracy activist, Biti served in Zimbabwe’s coalition government between 2009 and 2013 and has spent more than two decades as one of the country’s leading opposition politicians.

He most recently served as Vice President of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) and is widely recognised for his role in the development and defence of Zimbabwe’s 2013 Constitution.

Organisers say the meeting will provide Zimbabweans living in Britain with an opportunity to examine the contents of the bill, assess possible outcomes should it become law and discuss how citizens in the diaspora can participate in efforts to defend constitutional governance.

CDF UK Federation chairperson Blessing Tariro Makeyi said the proposed constitutional changes carry significant consequences for Zimbabwe’s future.

“The debate around Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 goes to the very heart of Zimbabwe’s constitutional democracy and the future direction of our nation,” Makeyi said.

She described the issue as one that extends beyond politics and law, arguing that it will affect both current and future generations of Zimbabweans.

The Leicester gathering comes at a time of heightened political tensions surrounding CAB3. Opponents of the bill argue that it would weaken constitutional safeguards, undermine democratic accountability and concentrate greater authority within the executive branch of government.

The Constitution Defenders Forum has emerged as one of the leading organisations campaigning against the proposed amendments, insisting that the reforms threaten key protections embedded in the 2013 Constitution.

Organisers are encouraging Zimbabweans from Leicester, the Midlands and other parts of the United Kingdom to attend the meeting, which is free and open to the public.

The event will take place on Saturday, 6 June, at John Foster Hall in Oadby, Leicester, beginning at 1pm.