Opposition Freedom of Rights Under Sovereign (FORUS) party has launched an attack on the proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill warning that it threatens the very foundations of the republic and could undermine the country’s democratic order.
In a statement, the party said Cabinet’s approval of the Bill which reportedly seeks to extend presidential terms from five to seven years and could allow the incumbent to remain in office until 2030 amounted to a direct challenge to the nation’s supreme law.
FORUS described the move as unconstitutional and illegitimate arguing that any changes to presidential term limits must first be put to the people through a national referendum.
“This brazen attempt to mutilate our Constitution is not only illegitimate, it is impossible without the consent of the people through a national referendum,” said party president Manyara Irene Muyenziwa.
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The party said it had already petitioned Parliament against what it calls the “2030 agenda”, warning that pushing through constitutional changes without public approval would amount to a serious violation of the country’s founding legal framework.
“To continue pushing this agenda is to butcher our Constitution, to trample on the rule of law, and to spit in the face of democratic accountability,” Muyenziwa said.
FORUS pledged to oppose the proposed amendments through both political and legal channels including mobilising citizens, engaging civil society groups and seeking redress through the courts.
“Let it be known: as FORUS Party, we will not stand idle while the foundations of our democracy are desecrated. We will use every political and constitutional tool at our disposal to resist this illegality,” Muyenziwa said.
She added that the party would “rally the people, engage the courts and mobilise civil society” to ensure the Constitution remains “the unshakable bedrock of our nation”.
The party said Zimbabwe’s Constitution must be protected from political interference and short-term ambitions.
“Zimbabwe’s future cannot be mortgaged to the ambitions of a few. The Constitution is our shield, our compass, and our collective inheritance,” Muyenziwa said.
