Staff writer
Six liberation war veterans have approached the Constitutional Court seeking to block President Emmerson Mnangagwa from advancing Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3.
The applicants are Reuben Zulu, Godfrey Gurira, Shoorai Nyamangodo, Joseph Chinyangare, Digmore Knowledge Ndiya and Joseph Chinguwa
They accuse Mnangagwa of breaching constitutional provisions by presiding over deliberations on reforms from which they say he stands to benefit personally.
Constitutional law expert, Professor Lovemore Madhuku is representing the war veterans.
The application was filed on Monday and challenges the president’s role in cabinet processes.
On Monday the Speaker of Parliament gazetted the bill in an extraordinary government gazette.
The court application seeks to have cabinet deliberations on the bill declared null and void.
The relief sought includes a declaration that the president acted unconstitutionally, nullification of cabinet approval of the bill, and an interdict preventing Mnangagwa from signing, assenting to or otherwise advancing the legislation in ways inconsistent with constitutional provisions governing political rights and amendment procedures.
The legal challenge highlights intensifying tensions over the proposed constitutional reforms, which critics say could fundamentally reshape Zimbabwe’s governance system.
Government officials, however, have defended the bill, saying it introduces “constructive reforms aimed at strengthening democratic structures, clarifying institutional mandates and aligning Zimbabwe’s constitutional framework with practices adopted in other jurisdictions.”
The Constitutional Court is expected to set timelines for responses from the president and the attorney-general before deciding whether the matter proceeds to a full hearing.
