Opposition leaders have accused the Parliamentary Committee overseeing the public hearings into the Constitutional Amendment Bill Number 3 of deliberately sidelining them from the proceedings.
Parliament commenced public hearings on Monday, gathering views on the contentious Constitutional Amendment Bill Number 3, which seeks to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa's term of office.
The public hearings in most cities were attended in huge numbers, as the ruling party ZANU PF leaves nothing to chance in pushing for the extension of President Mnangagwa's rule.
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Former cabinet minister David Coltart, in a post on the microblogging site X, hinted there were deliberate efforts to exclude his voice from the hearings.
"The Chair of the meeting studiously ignored both Judith Todd and me. I was there on time, sat in the front row, put my hand up every time a call was made for people to contribute, and stood up with my hand raised when it was clear the Chair was studiously ignoring me.
"The meeting was brought to an abrupt end at about 11.30 and as a result both Judith Todd and I were denied the right to contribute and give our views," said Coltart.
Parliament is holding the public hearings amid political tensions, with the build-up characterised by allegations of intimidation by the authorities of dissenting voices.
The bill has met resistance from the opposition as it suspends the 2028 general elections until 2030 and places the mandate of selecting the president on Parliament.
Former legislator Ostalos Siziba shared the same sentiments as Coltart, accusing "bused" people of being given preference to air their views.
"I was denied the opportunity to speak and contribute at the Constitutional Bill hearing in Nketa by the openly biased chairperson.
"People bused in from Matobo and Umguza were selectively given the opportunity to speak, yet many of them appeared unsure of what to say and simply repeated rehearsed slogans. We pushed back and expressed our total rejection of the bill," said Siziba.
The Constitutional Amendment Bill is a fulfilment of ZANU PF's 2025 conference resolution.
