Fresh allegations of cash-for-votes have surfaced as Parliament prepares to decide the fate of the controversial Constitution Amendment No. 3 Bill (CAB3), with claims that some opposition legislators were paid to support the proposed constitutional changes.
Sources familiar with developments alleged that some Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) legislators received up to US$10,000 each this week in exchange for backing provisions contained in the Bill, including proposals that could extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s tenure beyond 2028.
The allegations have not been independently verified.
CAB3, which is currently before Parliament, proposes several significant changes to the 2013 Constitution. Among the most contentious provisions are proposals to extend the terms of office for elected officials and remove the direct election of the President.
The latest claims come just days after a group of retired military officers and former senior civil servants, represented by Retired Air Vice-Marshal Henry Muchena, alleged they had evidence suggesting legislators could receive payments of up to US$50,000 from a prominent businessman linked to the constitutional amendment process.
While Zanu PF is widely expected to secure passage of the Bill in the National Assembly, political attention has increasingly shifted to the Senate, where the ruling party is believed to be short of the numbers required to guarantee victory without support from opposition legislators.
Sources alleged that the latest payments were distributed through a senior figure associated with the faction led by self-styled CCC secretary-general Sengezo Tshabangu.
The allegations emerge amid growing divisions within opposition ranks over CAB3.
Tshabangu’s camp had previously indicated it would not automatically support the Bill and suggested it was seeking concessions before deciding its position. However, some legislators associated with the faction have publicly expressed support for the proposed amendments.
One of the most notable interventions came from Budiriro North MP Susan Matsunga, who surprised many opposition colleagues during parliamentary debate by praising President Mnangagwa’s leadership and supporting the Bill.
Matsunga argued that ongoing infrastructure projects justified allowing the President additional time in office.
“If we look at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, we can see that there is modernisation there because of the development that is happening,” she told Parliament.
Her remarks drew sharp criticism from some opposition activists and commentators who view CAB3 as a threat to constitutional democracy.
Journalist Hopewell Chin’ono used Matsunga’s intervention to revisit longstanding concerns about candidate selection processes within opposition politics.
In a lengthy commentary, Chin’ono argued that politicians who rise through systems driven by personal loyalty rather than ideas and principles are more likely to shift allegiances when political circumstances change.
“Susan Matsunga is an example of what happens when politics revolves around personalities rather than principles. Many will remember how she bootlicked the opposition leader on social media and attacked anyone who raised genuine concerns. I raised concerns about that at the time, and I will look for the posts.
“What we are witnessing now is not an isolated incident. It is a symptom of a deeper and structural problem. When people rise through the ranks by flattering leaders rather than demonstrating competence, principles and independent thinking, they eventually transfer that loyalty elsewhere whenever it serves their interests, as she is doing now.
“What she said during the Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 debate yesterday reflects exactly that. President Emmerson Mnangagwa did not simply ask MPs to support a bill that could benefit him. He offered something that could benefit them as well, an extension of their own terms in parliament. For those like Susan whose politics is driven by personal gain rather than principle, the temptation becomes obvious,” Chin’ono wrote.
He described Matsunga’s position as symptomatic of a broader political culture that rewards loyalty to individuals rather than commitment to policy principles.
“Zimbabwe’s political challenge is bigger than one person or one party,” Chin’ono wrote. “We have allowed personality cults to dominate our politics at the expense of ideas.”
The allegations of vote-buying were strongly rejected by Tshabangu’s spokesperson, Nqobizitha Mlilo.
“To reduce the high-stakes theatre of constitutional negotiation to a petty transactional smear is an indictment of our public discourse,” Mlilo said.
He insisted that Tshabangu’s faction was focused on securing substantive political reforms rather than offering unconditional support for the Bill.
“We are not voting cows,” Mlilo said.
“Zanu PF must pay in the currency of genuine, sincere and meaningful concessions in the national interest.”
Mlilo argued that the Bill remained flawed in its current form and warned against using Parliament to rubber-stamp resolutions adopted at party conferences.
As debate over CAB3 continues, the allegations have added another layer of controversy to a constitutional reform process that has already divided politicians, civil society groups and constitutional experts.
Parliament is expected to continue deliberations on the Bill before voting on one of the most consequential constitutional amendments proposed since the adoption of Zimbabwe’s 2013 Constitution.
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