Zimbabwe's proposed Constitutional Amendment No 3 Bill threatens democratic principles

Ncube highlights six key reasons why CAB3 should be rejected. Firstly, it proposes to transfer the power to elect the President from the people to Members of Parliament, which Ncube states is a dilution of the democratic mandate. Secondly, CAB3 seeks to extend the terms of the President, Parliament, and councils from five to seven years, with transitional provisions explicitly applying this change to the current President, despite constitutional prohibitions against retroactive term limit amendments.

Thirdly, the Bill would expand the Senate by allowing the President to appoint 10 additional senators, alongside 18 traditional leaders, transforming it into a body of patronage rather than review. Fourthly, Ncube asserts that CAB3 dismantles constitutional watchdogs by abolishing the Zimbabwe Gender Commission and the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission, removing the voters' roll from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, and stripping public interviews from judicial appointments. Fifthly, he warns that such constitutional instability will deter investment, leading to economic decline and job losses.

Finally, Ncube contends that CAB3 is the wrong solution from an administration that has failed to address core issues like corruption and elec