Only 1 person opposed Amendment Bill Nô 3 in Chidzikwe village, Masvingo…Everyone else supported it
MASVINGO – Zanu PF ran and controlled a Parliamentary public hearing session at Chidzikwe Business Center in Masvingo District so tightly that only one person managed to stand up and oppose Constitutional Amendment Bill Number 3 of 2026 whose 22 proposed clauses were read out yesterday.
The only person who stood up to oppose the Bill, lawyer Johannes Ruvengo was booed, interjected and jeered during his presentation. He opposed clause Number 15 which proposes to give the President full powers to appoint judges.
The rest of the amendments, including the most contentious ones sailed through unopposed as a carefully choreographed process unfolded from the nearly 600 people transported to the venue by six buses and several other trucks.
Zanu PF Councillor for Ward 10, Masvingo Urban, Sengerai Manyanga held one of the mics and refused to hand it over to people perceived to be opposition.
Tatenda Mandondo of Citizens in Action Southern Africa was pushed away from the stage where people were speaking and threatened with physical violence.
Masvingo Ward 9 CCC councilor, Bernard Muchokwa was surrounded, harassed and threatened by Zanu PF youth as he stood up to speak. Among those who barred him from speaking was Esau Mutanho, Masvingo Minister of State Ezra Chadzamira’s driver who is facing charges of violence for disrupting a book launch. There are also several videos of him disrupting Parliamentary public hearing sessions including the one on the PVO Bill. He is also being sued for US$77 000 for disrupting Job Sikhala’s biography book launch.
This week Police was looking for his videos of violence on a case that is at the court.
Mutanho could be seen conferring with Chadzamira before he went back into the arena to harass people wanting to speak.
“The process was a façade. Those who controlled who could speak were Zanu PF youth. We were blocked from giving our views and we left early because Mutanho threatened to assault us. The consultation was held in a bushy area,” said Muchokwa.
Efforts to get a comment from Chadzamira were futile as he didn’t answer his phone.
Eddison Zvobgo who led the Parly Committee that conducted the hearing confirmed that there were disturbances at the hearings. He however said he has not received any complaints.
Manyanga said he was only exercising his rights as a resident.
“I support the bill and I volunteered to hold the mic. Everyone got the chance to speak. This was not a political gathering,” said Manyanga.
Mandondo said he was threatened and had to leave the venue early in fear for his safety.
Source: Masvingo mirror
