Chamisa Draws Battle Lines Over CAB3, Urges Citizens to Organise

Former Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa has intensified his opposition to Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 (CAB3)

describing the proposed changes as misguided and warning that they could have far-reaching consequences for the country’s future.

In a statement posted on social media, Chamisa argued that the country needed what he termed a “citizens’ government”, insisting that political authority could only derive legitimacy from the consent of the people.

“There can be no legitimate government without the consent of We The Citizens who are governed,” Chamisa wrote.

The opposition politician dismissed CAB3 as a flawed initiative that he said would not address the country’s pressing challenges.

“There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently what is fundamentally wrong. CAB3 is the wrong move, a misguided initiative and a selfish national mistake,” he said.

His remarks come as public hearings on the proposed constitutional amendments continue across the country, attracting both support and criticism from various stakeholders.

Chamisa argued that the amendment process represented a misuse of national resources and warned that those driving the initiative could ultimately face the consequences of its outcomes.

“Far from delivering value, it is an absolute waste of time and resources. Its consequences will be severe and may ultimately consume those who conceived and championed it,” he said.

The former CCC leader also rejected both the bill and the consultation process surrounding it, alleging that the outcomes had been predetermined.

“We The Citizens reject CAB3, all its flawed processes and choreographed outcomes,” he said.

Framing opposition to the bill as part of a broader political struggle, Chamisa called on Zimbabweans to organise and participate in shaping the country’s future.

“This is the new front of the struggle for a New Great Zimbabwe. The future belongs to organised citizens. We organise. We engage. We build. Come, let us reason together,” he wrote.

Chamisa’s intervention adds to growing debate over CAB3, which has become a focal point of discussion among political parties, civil society organisations and constitutional experts with supporters and critics sharply divided over its implications for the country’s governance and democratic processes.