HARARE
–
Zimbabwe’s
human
rights
watchdog
has
raised
the
alarm
over
widespread
intimidation
and
harassment
of
opponents
of
Constitutional
Amendment
Bill
No.
3
during
parliamentary
public
hearings,
including
the
use
of
men
armed
with
whips
to
vet
participants
in
Mashonaland
West.
The
Zimbabwe
Human
Rights
Commission
(ZHRC)
deployed
monitoring
teams
across
all
provinces
from
March
30
to
April
4,
2026,
to
observe
the
Parliament
of
Zimbabwe’s
CAB3
consultation
exercise.
In
a
press
statement
issued
on
Tuesday,
the
Commission
said
that
while
attendance
at
the
hearings
was
generally
high
and
inclusive,
a
serious
pattern
of
rights
violations
had
been
recorded
at
multiple
venues.
“The
commission
observed
instances
where
participants
with
divergent
views
to
the
proposed
amendments
were
threatened,
silenced,
denied
opportunities
to
contribute
and
in
some
instances
physically
attacked,”
the
ZHRC
said.
It
said
entry
points
at
venues
were
frequently
controlled
by
youths
who
vetted
participants,
with
supervised
sign-in
registers
that
effectively
restricted
who
could
gain
access.
In
Mashonaland
West’s
Mhondoro
Ngezi,
men
holding
whips
were
involved
in
screening
participants
at
the
door.
“Individuals
and
groups
opposed
to
CAB3
were
denied
audience,”
the
commission
said.
“Whilst
those
in
support
of
the
Constitutional
Amendment
were
able
to
give
their
views,
the
Commission
noted
the
harassment
and
intimidation
of
dissenting
voices.”
The
ZHRC,
which
is
chaired
by
lawyer
Jessie
Majome,
said
the
conduct
violated
constitutionally
protected
rights
including
freedom
of
expression
under
section
61,
freedom
of
conscience
under
section
60,
the
right
to
human
dignity
under
section
51,
personal
security
under
section
52,
and
the
right
to
equality
and
non-discrimination
under
section
56.
CAB3,
tabled
as
House
Bill
1
of
2026,
is
the
most
far-reaching
constitutional
amendment
since
the
2013
constitution
was
adopted.
Among
its
most
contested
proposals
are
the
extension
of
presidential
and
parliamentary
terms,
replacing
a
direct
popular
vote
with
an
election
of
the
president
by
Members
of
Parliament,
and
the
transfer
of
the
voters’
roll
from
the
Zimbabwe
Electoral
Commission
to
the
Civil
Registry.
Other
proposals
include
the
appointment
of
additional
senators
by
the
president,
the
merging
of
the
Zimbabwe
Gender
Commission
into
the
ZHRC,
and
provisions
allowing
traditional
leaders
to
participate
in
politics.
The
ZHRC
said
these
were
among
the
changes
that
drew
the
most
participation
at
the
hearings
it
observed.
The
commission
said
most
venues
were
too
small
relative
to
the
turnout,
resulting
in
large
numbers
of
would-be
participants
being
unable
to
enter
the
halls
to
follow
or
contribute
to
proceedings.
The
ZHRC
called
on
all
stakeholders
to
exercise
tolerance
and
to
respect
divergent
views,
and
reiterated
the
state’s
duty
to
guarantee
the
full
enjoyment
of
human
rights
by
all
citizens
regardless
of
the
views
they
hold.
“The
constitutional
amendment
process
must
align
with
obligations
under
international
and
regional
human
rights
law,”
the
commission
said,
citing
the
International
Covenant
on
Civil
and
Political
Rights,
which
guarantees
participation
in
public
affairs,
freedom
of
expression,
and
equality
before
the
law.
CAB3
has
faced
mounting
opposition
from
civil
society,
religious
leaders
and
retired
military
figures
since
it
was
gazetted,
and
several
legal
challenges
have
been
filed
in
the
Constitutional
Court.