Zim Faces ‘Dire Constitutional Crisis’ Opposition Forum Warns

A local civic group has warned that the country is facing a “dire constitutional crisis” on the eve of its 46th Independence celebrations saying recent political and economic developments threaten democracy and the future of young people.

Chiedza Mlingwa, deputy spokesperson for the Constitution Defenders Forum (CDF) said the country was experiencing shrinking civic space, worsening economic hardship and growing pressure on judicial independence.

“It is disheartening that on the eve of the country’s 46th Independence Commemoration we are presently faced with a dire constitutional crisis that will really have severe implications not just for our democratic architecture but also threatens the collective futures of the children we are raising today,” she said.

Mlingwa accused the state of increasingly turning against its own citizens and cited the arrests of student activists Emmanuel Sitima and Takunda Mhuka.

“We have seen disturbingly an increased clampdown on student activism with the arrest of Emmanuel Sitima and Takunda Mhuka as notable recent examples. They are far from being criminals or imminent to society. They are young men who are products of their immediate environment, victims of circumstances they did not even create. Their activism is less an act of malice than a direct reflection of unmet basic needs,” she said.

She also painted a bleak picture of the economy saying many Zimbabweans were struggling with the rising cost of living and high fuel prices.

“The cost of basic living has reached unsustainable proportions and fuel prices in Zimbabwe remain significantly higher than the rest of the region,” she said.

Mlingwa compared Zimbabwe’s fuel prices with neighbouring countries saying motorists in Zambia and Namibia were paying much less.

“It is against this backdrop and this comparative context that the recent directive by the Finance Minister, Mthuli Ncube is not only detached from reality but actually remains deeply insensitive. For many citizens, mobility is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. It’s tied to survival, it’s tied to livelihoods, it’s tied to access to essential services,” she said.

The CDF also alleged growing interference with freedom of assembly and expression.

Mlingwa said the group had notified police of plans to hold a public meeting in Glen Norah to discuss Constitution Amendment Bill No. 3 but later received notice that it could not proceed because of unspecified security concerns.

“This stifling of dialogue and citizen participation is uncharacteristic of a government that claims to enjoy overwhelming support from the majority of its citizens,” she said.

“A government confident in its legitimacy does not hear the voice of its own citizens.”

She further criticised the continued detention of activist Madzibaba veShanduko who she said had spent more than six months in prison awaiting trial.

“He is already effectively serving a prison sentence despite not yet being convicted,” she said.

Turning to the proposed Constitution Amendment Bill No. 3, Ms Mlingwa said the measure was being presented as necessary for development but argued it would instead sideline citizens.

“The architects and main beneficiaries of our misery are now saying to us today, give us two more additional years… through constitutional amendment bill number three. They say it’s about development. They say it’s about having sufficient time in order to complete projects. We say, in reality, it’s about reducing Zimbabweans to mere spectators in the destiny of their own nation,” she said

She added that the CDF rejected the bill completely and called for it to be withdrawn.

“It is against this spectrum that we as CDF reject constitutional amendment bill number three in its entirety and call for its complete withdrawal and would like to also call upon all Zimbabweans to mobilise in defence of the constitution regardless of political affiliation,” she said.

Zimbabwe marks 46 years of independence tomorrow amid continuing debate over governance, economic pressures and proposed constitutional reforms.