By Fanuel Chinowaita
Harare, 11 February 2026 — The Constitution Defenders Forum (CDF) has strongly condemned Cabinet’s approval of the draft Constitutional Amendment No. 3 Bill of 2026, warning that the proposed changes amount to a “constitutional coup against the people of Zimbabwe.”
In a statement issued on Tuesday, CDF said it noted “with grave concern” the formal introduction of the Bill at the first Cabinet sitting of the year, saying what had previously circulated as speculation had now become official government policy.
Cabinet yesterday approved the draft law, which will now be gazetted by the Speaker of Parliament before being tabled in Parliament after a mandatory 90-day period for public debate. If passed, the Bill would usher in some of the most far-reaching constitutional changes since the adoption of the 2013 Constitution.
CDF warned that Zimbabwe now stands “at a historic crossroads,” arguing that the amendments threaten to dismantle constitutional safeguards established through a national referendum.
“The nation faces a constitutional crisis that will determine whether we remain governed by the will of the people or slide back into unchecked executive dominance,” the Forum said. “CDF views this Bill as a constitutional coup against the people of Zimbabwe — a silent takeover of citizens’ sovereign power through legal instruments.”
Among the most contentious provisions is the proposal to scrap the direct election of the President by popular vote, replacing it with an election by Parliament, as well as extending presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years.
CDF said these changes undermine democratic accountability and reverse gains made under the 2013 Constitution.
“The 2013 Constitution was born out of national consultation and approved by more than three million Zimbabweans in a referendum,” CDF said. “The proposed amendments seek to reverse these gains and drag Zimbabwe back to the pre-2013 constitutional order.”
The Bill also proposes increasing the President’s appointive powers in the Senate by allowing the appointment of ten additional senators, transferring voter registration and the voters’ roll from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to the Registrar-General, and removing ZEC’s role in electoral delimitation.
CDF further raised alarm over the removal of public interviews for judicial appointments, saying the move would erode transparency and judicial independence.
“These changes collectively centralise power, weaken accountability, undermine electoral integrity and erode judicial independence,” the statement read, adding that the abolition of the Zimbabwe Gender Commission would roll back constitutional protections for women and marginalised groups.
Particular concern was raised over proposed changes to the constitutional role of the Defence Forces. The amendment would replace the obligation to “uphold” the Constitution with a requirement to act “in accordance with” it.
“Removing the explicit obligation to uphold the Constitution reduces the Defence Forces from constitutional guardians to mere security guards of those in power,” CDF warned. “An army detached from constitutional duty becomes an instrument of command rather than conscience.”
CDF unequivocally rejected Constitutional Amendment No. 3, insisting that sovereignty belongs to the people, not Cabinet or any political party.
“Any attempt to alter the Constitution without genuine public consent is illegitimate,” the Forum said.
The organisation called on Members of Parliament across party lines to reject the Bill and defend the Constitution, warning that history would judge leaders by where they stood at this moment. It also appealed to the regional and international community to pay close attention, saying Zimbabwe faces “an imminent assault on constitutional democracy.”
“Zimbabweans did not sacrifice for a Constitution that can be casually dismantled,” CDF said. “This is a defining moment.”
The statement was signed by the CDF Communications Desk and accompanied by calls under the banners #NoTo2030, #BumbiroHaribatwi, and #ZviganandaMiswai.