Timba, Biti And Madhuku Reject “Orchestrated” Constitutional Amendment Public Hearings

Three constitutional advocacy groups have pulled out of the ongoing public hearings on the proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3, saying the process is a sham and announcing plans for a citizen-led campaign instead.

The announcement was made at a joint press conference in Harare on Wednesday by Jameson Timba, convenor of the Defend the Constitution Platform (DCP), alongside Tendai Biti of the Constitutional Defenders Forum (CDF) and Lovemore Madhuku of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA).

Timba said the hearings were more of an “orchestrated exercise” than a genuine consultation. He accused organisers of systematically excluding dissenting voices, while also pointing to intimidation and violence against people who tried to speak out against the Bill. Timba said:

“What we witnessed on March 31 in Harare, and indeed in other parts of the country, cannot be described as a genuine consultative process.

“Citizens were denied the opportunity to speak, voices were drowned out, and in some instances, violence and intimidation were deployed against those expressing dissenting views.”

“The three organisations said they could no longer participate in or lend legitimacy to a process they described as “fundamentally flawed” and inconsistent with the spirit and letter of the constitution.”

The groups stressed that withdrawing from the hearings does not mean they are backing down from the constitutional fight. Instead, they say they are shifting focus to a citizen-led approach.

Timba said the DCP will set up a framework for lawful civic engagement, anchored in Section 59 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to demonstrate and petition peacefully.

He said the platform will give ordinary citizens space to freely express their views, take part in organised civic action, and assert their constitutional rights.

The three organisations also called for a proper and inclusive consultation process to be carried out in every constituency across the country.

They added that they will work together under a coordinated framework to defend the Constitution, while also reaching out to a wider coalition of stakeholders, including the church and war veterans’ groups.

Timba urged Zimbabweans to remain peaceful, alert, and actively involved, saying the responsibility to defend the Constitution now rests firmly with the citizens.

More: ZimLive