Lawyers Association has said the recently gazetted Constitutional Amendment Bill will shrink the democratic space while entrenching authoritarianism, should it successfully pass through parliamentary processes.
The Constitutional Amendment Bill continues to divide opinion, with the opposition resisting the attempts by the government to amend the constitution to extend the presidential and term limits.
In a statement, Adventists Lawyers Association has become the latest body to tear down the bill, which they argue reverses the gains of the constitution, which was passed in 2013.
"We perceive the amendments as being geared towards a tightening of political control and a dwindling of democratic space by the ruling elite in a bid to prolong individuals. tenure and reduce genuine competition.
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"Again we reiterate this sacred truth, public office is a fiduciary trust, not proprietary or personal entitlement. Entrenchment distorts democratic accountability and distorts the principle that sovereignty ultimately resides in the people," read the statement.
ZANU PF is leaving nothing to chance in fulfilling the 2025 Mutare conference resolution, which aims to extend the tenure of President Emmerson Mnangagwa beyond 2028 when his tenure expires according to the current constitution.
The amendment bill was gazetted recently, marking the beginning of public consultations.
"There has been a subtle extension, redesign, or at least reinterpretation of term limits in a manner inconsistent with their underlying purpose. We therefore affirm that term limits are safeguards against the concentration of power.
"They exist because history, and human frailty teach that unchecked authority corrodes both institutions and character. Any attempt to dilute these safeguards strikes at the architecture of democratic governance," read the statement further.
The Constitutional Amendment Bill has triggered a tense political atmosphere, with several opposition figures accusing the government of intimidation and torture.
Recently, Lovemore Madhuku and several National Constitutional Assembly members were assaulted by unknown men wearing balaclavas while holding a meeting.
The statement said the bill has led to the intolerance of dissenting voices by the authorities.
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"Zimbabwe has witnessed a progressive narrowing of civic space and intolerance of lawful dissent. We note with utter shock and disappointment the attack on Professor Madhuku and several citizens in the wake of 'AGENDA 2030'.
"The reported conduct, involving violence perpetrated against an unarmed civilian, is barbaric, retrogressive, ignoble, and highly contemptible. Such acts have no place in a constitutional democracy and in the land of the living. They strike at the very foundation of the rule of law.
"They must therefore be intercepted, and perpetrators thereof brought to justice, quickly. Such impunity and presumptuous behaviour MUST NEVER be tolerated and countenanced, and we completely denounce such in strongest terms," read the statement.
