Biti Slams New Constitutional Amendment As “Privatisation Of Power”

Opposition figure and constitutional lawyer Tendai Biti has condemned the enactment of Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 (CAB 3), warning it erodes democracy and concentrates power in the hands of a few.

Biti described the government as a “paranoid pathological regime” driven by “looting and power”, arguing that CAB 3 “conflates the two agendas”. He said the amendment “shifts power and control to the few rag-tag bandits that have made billions from looting the State”.

According to Biti, the law “creates a clear pathway to power for syndicates and fat cats, unapologetic gold smugglers using expensive private jets to ferry gold bars from different disparate African State Houses to the murky corridors of Dubai’s underworld”.

He said CAB 3 “allows the complete privatisation of power” by moving legitimacy “from millions of Zimbabweans to those that will be able to control the process and outcomes of any party primary election process”.

“Democracy has been commodified,” Biti said.

He pointed to an amendment inserted on 17 June 2026 during the Committee Stage of CAB 3. The change forces party parliamentary nominees to declare their preferred presidential candidate on nomination forms.

“Whoever signs party candidate forms determines the next president,” Biti said. He called the clause “obnoxious”, arguing it should have been gazetted in the original bill and debated publicly.

Biti further claimed CAB 3 “suspends elections to an unknown date”. He added: “Elections are not in 2030. Maybe they can be held after 7 years in 2033.”

He criticised the use of “notwithstanding” in clause 4(2)a and clause 9 of the Bill, saying it “allows the constitution to be suspended any time, they feel like”.

Biti warned that “CAB 3 and 4 are in the making” and urged focus on resisting the new law. “In this reality where democracy has been hijacked, elections sidetracked, and Zimbabwe in limbo, focus should be on resisting CAB 3. Anything else is a diversion. Anything else is prepaid distraction,” he said.

Biti confirmed his alignment with two political platforms. “We are therefore proud members of @cdfzim. We are proud founding members of the Sungano yaVanhu/Ubumbano lomphakathi Alliance,” he said.

“This Alliance is our salvation. Without it, Zimbabwe is gone. It is that simple,” Biti added.

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Biti: Tagwirei appointment a new low, the Gupturisation of Zimbabwe “CAB3 Could Allow Election Rigging Before A Single Vote Is Cast”