Citizens ‘pressured to support’ Constitutional Amendment Bill as intimidation, violence threaten public debate

LOCAL human rights watchdog Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) says growing intimidation and violence are undermining public debate around the proposed Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Bill No. 3.

In its monthly monitoring report for February 2026, ZPP said the environment surrounding discussions on the Bill has become increasingly hostile, making it difficult for citizens and civic actors to freely express their views on the proposed constitutional changes.

The watchdog warned that violence, intimidation and harassment linked to the debate risks weakening democratic participation at a time when Parliament has invited Zimbabweans to submit their views on the Bill.

“The growing climate of intimidation around the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Bill No. 3 has made the cost of publicly discussing or debating the proposed changes increasingly high.

“This environment creates the perception that citizens are being pressured to support the Bill, while opposing views are effectively being criminalised.

“Such conditions undermine democratic participation and contradict the very spirit of constitutionalism,” ZPP said.

ZPP noted that violence has been reported against political actors, civic activists and individuals opposing the Bill.

One of the incidents cited is when Lovemore Madhuku, leader of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) was reportedly attacked by armed assailants who stormed the organisation’s offices in Harare.

While the Zimbabwe Republic Police denied that its officers were involved in the attack, ZPP said there has been no visible evidence of a thorough investigation to identify those responsible.

The watchdog said failure by law enforcement agencies to act decisively risks encouraging further politically motivated violence.

ZPP also warned that shrinking civic space threatens the credibility of the ongoing public consultation process.

“For public consultations to be meaningful, citizens must be free to engage, discuss, and debate the proposed amendments without fear of intimidation, harassment, or reprisals.

“A democratic constitutional process requires open civic space where diverse perspectives can be heard.

“Zimbabweans must therefore be allowed to freely deliberate on the Bill so they can make informed and meaningful contributions to Parliament on matters that directly affect the governance and future of the country,” reads the report. – _*NewZimbabwe*_