Biti hints on readiness to work with Chamisa to push back constitutional changes
CONVENER of the Constitutional Defenders Forum (CDF) and former Finance minister, Tendai Biti, says he is ready to work with his former opposition leader Nelson Chamisa in resisting what he describes as the mutilation of Zimbabwe’s constitution amid fresh efforts to amend the supreme law.
The two politicians parted ways in 2024 after Chamisa left the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) when the formation was hijacked by Zanu PF through its Trojan horse, Sengezo Tshabangu, who went on a rampage recalling Members of Parliament and councillors without Chamisa’s input.
Chamisa has since vowed to stop attempts to extend the tenure of President Emmerson Mnangagwa to 2030. While emphasising forgiveness, the 48-year-old politician ruled out working with Douglas Mwonzora.
Under the current Zimbabwean law, Mnangagwa is expected to retire from office in 2028 when his second and last term expires. For Mnangagwa to continue as President beyond 2028, the constitution has to be amended twice, through two sperate Bills and must also be endorsed by referendums.
Biti’s appeal comes in the wake of Cabinet’s approval this week of the principles of the Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3, a proposed law set to effect far-reaching changes to Zimbabwe’s 2013 constitution.
Chief among the proposals is the extension of the terms of both the President and the Parliament of Zimbabwe from 2028 to 2030, a move critics argue circumvents existing constitutional term limits without subjecting the matter to a public referendum.
The Bill further seeks to transfer the voter registration function from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) back to the Registrar General’s Office and proposes changes to the judicial appointment process by allowing the President to appoint judges without public interviews — a departure from the transparency provisions currently embedded in the supreme law of the land.
Addressing journalists in Harare Friday, Biti said such proposals amount to constitutional mutilation and require a collective national response from across the political and civic spectrum.
“We are going to work with Nelson Chamisa. Up until he left politics, he was my president. So, we are going to work with everyone in the fight to protect this constitution,” he said.
“We would like to see women on the fore front, we would like to see young people on the fore front, we would like to see millions of Zimbabweans in the diaspora working with us.”
Biti further added that the defence of the constitution transcends party lines and requires participation from all Zimbabweans, including progressive members within Zanu PF itself.
“All hands must be on the deck. The constitution and the struggle for its protection cannot be monopolised by an individual or an organisation. We will therefore work with everyone in Zimbabwe. We are going to work with progressive elements in Zanu PF whom we know are opposed to these constitutional shenanigans.
“They are there. We are going to work with them. We are going to work with persons in the broad democratic movement whether its MDC, whether its CCC if it still exists, we are going to work with everyone,” he said.
Biti also revealed that he had engaged constitutional law expert Lovemore Madhuku, who he said was equally prepared to join efforts aimed at resisting the proposed amendments.
“I spent about an hour last night speaking to Professor Lovemore Madhuku. We are going to work together to stop this coup on our constitution.”
Biti’s CDF shares a similar objective with the Defending the Constitution Platform convened by Senator Jameson Timba, as civic and political actors begin to mobilise in anticipation of what could become one of the most consequential constitutional battles since the adoption of the 2013 charter.
_New Zimbabwe_
