The Zimbabwe Youth Action Platform (ZYAP) has demanded the ruling party Zanu PF to take immediate action against legislators who absconded from the initial vote on Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 (CAB3), insisting that their later participation does not vindicate what it describes as a “deliberate betrayal.”
The youth group also urged the party to institute a rigorous selection process for aspiring Members of Parliament going forward, warning that “traitors must not be allowed anywhere near Parliament” after the Bill’s passage.
In a hard-hitting statement, ZYAP said it was “compelled to speak with clarity, conviction and without fear or favour” over the conduct of the lawmakers, accusing them of abandoning the party at a critical moment.
“We have observed, with great concern, that some Zanu PF legislators who deliberately absented themselves or failed to vote during the critical first round… have now attempted to redeem themselves,” ZYAP said. “Let it be made unequivocally clear: such actions do not erase the betrayal they demonstrated when it mattered most. A second-round vote cannot cleanse the stain of disloyalty.”
ZYAP labelled the legislators “traitors to the cause” who “calculated, hesitated, and chose self-preservation over party loyalty,” adding that their actions were neither accidental nor excusable.
“Their silence and absence were not accidental; they were deliberate acts of betrayal. Now that the Bill has progressed, they seek to reposition themselves as loyal cadres. This is not repentance — it is opportunism of the highest order,” the group said.
The organisation said it was aware of sentiments expressed by some MPs during the first vote, including remarks such as “tichiri vadiki tine future,” “itai tione kuti munobudirira here,” and “it’s against what I believe.”
“These were not the words of loyal members, but of individuals hedging their bets,” ZYAP said.
It further alleged that some legislators deliberately delayed coming to Parliament or attended unrelated events to justify their absence, describing the actions as “calculated moves designed to evade responsibility.”
Rejecting what it termed “a strategic retreat masquerading as remorse,” ZYAP warned party leadership against extending forgiveness.
“By day, they profess loyalty… by night, they scheme… Such duplicity cannot and must not be tolerated,” it said.
ZYAP stressed that the passage of CAB3 must mark a turning point, urging the party to act decisively.
“Forgiveness in politics must be guided by principle, not convenience… The party must be left with Members of Parliament who stand firmly… not fence-sitters,” the group said, adding that “they cannot repent their way out of betrayal and treason.”
