Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. Sanyati residents have urged their Member of Parliament, Polite Kambamura, not to support proposed constitutional amendments that would extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s tenure by two years, keeping him in office until 2030.
The Constitutional Amendment Bill No 3, gazetted last week, gives Parliament the power to elect the President, replacing
the popular vote.
In a letter signed under the banner Sanyati Constituency Electorate, voters told Kambamura they expect him “to uphold our collective voice.” They stressed that he was elected to represent their interests and should not succumb to external pressures
or personal gain.
“As a constituency of approximately 25 000 voters, we urge you to heed our position, rather than succumbing to external pressures or personal gain,” the letter read.
“The people have spoken and we reject [Constitutional Amendment] Bill No 3. The stakes are high and the gloves are off. The fate of Bill No 3 will be decided by the people and we will not hesitate to express our discontent.”
While praising the MP’s work in the constituency, residents implored him to distance himself from the
proposed amendment.
The warning from Sanyati highlights growing national opposition to Bill No 3. Critics argue the amendment will consolidate executive power, undermine democratic governance and allow the President to remain in office without a popular mandate. Opposition parties, including the Democratic Party Zimbabwe, have called for broad public consultations and interim arrangements to ensure free and fair elections before
enacting such changes.
The Democratic Party of Zimbabwe said the country’s governance challenges stem from the absence of a “People’s Constitution” and the concentration of executive authority in the presidency.
In a statement titled Zimbabwe’s Problem Identification, party president Wurayayi Zembe argued that Constitutional Amendment Bill No 3 deepens the governance crisis by allowing Parliament, rather than citizens, to elect the President.
“Our country does not have a people’s Constitution that serves as the foundation and instrument for national democratic
governance,” the party said.
The party proposed the holding of democratic, free and fair general elections forthwith in terms of an agreed interim people’s constitutional and electoral arrangement to end the governance crisis
in Zimbabwe.
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