Zimbabwe: Rights Lawyer Coltart Assaulted, Phone Stolen As Chaos Rocks Harare Constitution Amendment Bill Public Hearings

ED Mnangagwa/X
President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
31 March 2026
New Zimbabwe (London)

Discover moreOnline newspaper subscriptionShowbiz entertainment newsGold mining equipmentPublic hearings on the Constitutional Amendment No. 3 Bill turned chaotic Tuesday at the City Sports Centre, amid reports of violence, intimidation and disruptions targeting opposition figures and journalists.

Doug Coltart was attacked while making his way out of the venue by a group of suspected ZANU PF supporters and his mobile phone stolen.

Breaking: Human rights lawyer Douglas Coltart was attacked by suspected ZANU-PF supporters while attempting to leave the Constitution Amendment Bill public hearing at City Sports Centre in Harare. His phone and eyeglasses were stolen. https://t.co/r9i5E2aduo pic.twitter.com/ZYAgBpS2fl-- NewZimbabwe.com (@NewZimbabweCom) March 31, 2026

Opposition figures Tendai Biti, Fadzayi Mahere, Morgen Komichi were booed at and heckled, with proceedings descending into disorder.

Journalists covering the hearings were blocked from filming and taking photographs, with others subjected to intimidation.

The public hearings form part of nationwide consultations on the Constitutional Amendment No. 3 Bill, which among other changes seeks to extend the president's term to seven years.

Read the original article on New Zimbabwe.

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