Opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) Budiriro North legislator Susan Matsunga has been accused of a “shameful betrayal” after publicly backing Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 (CAB3), a controversial proposal that seeks, among other changes, to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term of office by two years.
Her remarks have triggered a fierce backlash from opposition figures, activists and government critics, who say she has abandoned the democratic principles on which she was elected.
Speaking during debate on the Bill in the National Assembly on Tuesday, Matsunga said President Mnangagwa should remain in office beyond the current constitutional limit to allow Zimbabweans to continue benefiting from the Second Republic’s development programmes.
“I am saying the President’s term must be extended by two more years so we can have more time to enjoy the fruits of the Second Republic’s work,” Matsunga told Parliament.
She also expressed support for proposals that would see the President elected by Members of Parliament and suggested legislators would welcome an extension of their own terms.
Her remarks triggered a strong reaction from opposition supporters, with Bulawayo Mayor David Coltart accusing opposition legislators supporting the Bill of abandoning the people who elected them.
Coltart argued that references to enjoying the “fruits” of the Second Republic reflected the interests of politicians rather than ordinary Zimbabweans.
“It is utterly shameful that anyone elected or appointed on an opposition ticket should betray the people of Zimbabwe in this manner,” Coltart said.
Journalist and government critic Hopewell Chin’ono also launched a scathing attack on Matsunga, describing her as a symbol of what he called a political culture that rewards loyalty to individuals over principles.
Chin’ono linked Matsunga’s position on the Bill to broader concerns about candidate selection processes within opposition parties, arguing that politicians who advance through personal loyalty rather than merit are more likely to switch allegiances when opportunities arise.
“Susan Matsunga is not the disease; she is the symptom,” Chin’ono wrote. “The real disease is a political culture that rewards bootlicking over ideas, loyalty to individuals over principles, and personality cults over democracy.”
The criticism comes amid growing controversy surrounding Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3, which seeks to introduce several changes to Zimbabwe’s governance framework.
Matsunga recently attracted attention after receiving a Toyota Fortuner vehicle and US$50,000 from controversial businessman Wicknell Chivayo following her praise of the Presidential Borehole Scheme in her constituency.
During the parliamentary debate, she defended the government’s development record, citing infrastructure projects such as the Trabablas Interchange, road rehabilitation programmes and the Presidential Borehole Scheme.
“The Second Republic has done a lot for Zimbabwe,” Matsunga said, arguing that communities in her rural home area of Gutu had benefited from increased access to boreholes.
She is among a small number of opposition legislators who have openly declared support for the Bill while critics argue some provisions could undermine constitutional safeguards and democratic accountability.
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