UZA Cries Foul Over ‘Power-Grab’ Constitutional Amendment

Opposition United Zimbabwe Alliance (UZA) has launched an attack on the proposed Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 3) Bill warning that it poses a clear and present danger to democracy and could fundamentally alter the country’s system of governance.

The Bill, which was approved by Cabinet recently seeks to extend presidential terms from five to seven years and to abolish the direct election of the president by citizens transferring that power to legislators.

In a statement, UZA secretary for information and media, Tadini Wenyika Masaya said the proposals amounted to a calculated effort to dismantle the 2013 Constitution.

“This Bill is a clear and present danger to our democracy. It is a calculated attempt to dismantle the 2013 Constitution, erode the will of the people, and entrench a system of unaccountable governance,” Masaya said.

Under the proposed changes, the president would no longer be chosen through a national vote but elected by Parliament. Masaya said this would effectively disenfranchise the country’s electorate.

“By proposing that the President be elected by Parliament rather than through a direct popular vote, this Bill effectively disenfranchises over 15 million Zimbabweans. It strips the individual citizen of their most fundamental right — the right to choose their leader and hands that power to a political elite,” he said

UZA argues that the Bill runs directly against its founding principles, which call for a “democratic, free, and transparent society conducive to the prosperity of all citizens”.

The party also cites Section 328 of the Constitution, which bars amendments to term limits that benefit a sitting president. Any attempt to use the proposed changes to extend the current administration’s rule beyond its existing mandate, UZA says, would violate the spirit of the law.

“Attempting to bypass these safeguards to extend the current administration’s tenure to 2030 is not modernisation but it is a constitutional coup,” Masaya said.

He added that the party believes in the rule of law “where the law is a shield for the weak, not a weapon for the powerful”.

UZA has also raised concerns that centralising power in the presidency could weaken accountability and encourage the misuse of state security institutions.

“Such a shift encourages the continued abuse of the army and police to suppress dissent rather than protect the populace. State organs must remain professional, neutral, and subservient to the Constitution — not to the whims of a life-term presidency,” Masaya warned.

UZA says the government should be prioritising economic recovery, not constitutional changes.

“This Bill does nothing to put food on the table; it only serves to extend the suffering of the masses by prioritising political survival over economic reform and social justice,” Masaya said.

The Party is urging Zimbabweans, civil society organisations and the international community to reject the Bill.

“We demand a return to the path of genuine democracy where leaders are held accountable through regular, free, and fair direct electionsWe will not stand by while the heritage of our future is traded for the entrenchment of a few,” Masaya said.