President Mnangagwa claims Zimbabwe constitutional amendment hearings were smooth despite reports of violence

President Emmerson Mnangagwa said the 90‑day public consultations on Zimbabwe’s Constitution Amendment Bill No. 3 proceeded smoothly and gave citizens across the country a chance to express their views. Human‑rights groups and the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission contest that claim, reporting incidents of violence and a partisan selection of speakers. During a hearing in Harare, lawyer Doug Coltart was assaulted and his phone was seized by a ZANU‑PF Central Committee member. Opposition figures such as Professor Lovemore Madhuku, Tendai Biti and Fadzayi Mahere said they were denied the opportunity to speak.

The bill, now awaiting a parliamentary debate, proposes to extend President Mnangagwa’s term by two years, change presidential term limits from five to seven years and shift the presidential election to a vote by parliamentarians rather than the public. The Law Society of Zimbabwe warned that the amendment may be unconstitutional without a referendum, and a group of war veterans has filed a challenge in the Constitutional Court. While Mnangagwa hailed the process as a historic democratic exercise, critics argue the consultations were marred by intimidation and exclusion.