Opposition figures including Jameson Zvidzai Timba, Tendai Biti, Lovemore Madhuku and former lawmaker Munyaradzi Gwisai have announced their withdrawal from the ongoing public hearings on the proposed Constitution Amendment Bill No. 3, citing violence, intimidation and the exclusion of dissenting voices.
The announcement, made in Harare during a joint press conference by the Defend the Constitution Platform (DCP), the Constitution Defence Forum (CDF) and the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA), follows the chaos that marred the consultation programme, which concludes tomorrow.
Political and civic leaders were reportedly denied the opportunity to address the hearings, while violence erupted in Harare where rights lawyer Doug Coltart was attacked and his phone stolen.
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Speaking on behalf of the group, Timba said the developments had rendered the process illegitimate.
"What we witnessed yesterday in Harare, and indeed in other parts of the country, cannot be described as a genuine consultative process," he said.
"Citizens were denied the opportunity to speak, voices were drowned out, and in some instances, violence and intimidation were deployed against those expressing dissenting views."
He added: "This is not consultation. It is orchestration."
Timba said the group had taken a firm position to disengage from the process.
"We hereby disengage from the current public hearings process. We cannot participate in, or lend legitimacy to, a process that is fundamentally flawed, exclusionary, and inconsistent with the spirit and letter of the Constitution," he said.
Despite the withdrawal, he stressed that the move did not mark an end to their campaign against the proposed amendments.
"Disengagement does not mean withdrawal from the constitutional struggle. On the contrary, it marks the beginning of a more structured, citizen-driven response," he said.
He said the platform would mobilise citizens through lawful civic engagement mechanisms.
"This engagement will be anchored in Section 59 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to demonstrate and present petitions peacefully," Timba said.
"We will therefore create platforms through which citizens can express their views freely and without intimidation, participate in organised, lawful civic action and assert their constitutional rights in a structured and disciplined manner."
Timba also called for a fresh, comprehensive consultation exercise across the country.
"We are also demanding a proper comprehensive consultation process in every constituency," he said.
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He added that the leaders would work together under a united front.
"Together with the CDF and the NCA, we will establish a coordinated framework to work and act collectively in defence of the Constitution. We will also be engaging more organisations including the Church and war veterans," he said.
"This is not about organisations. It is about the people. It is about ensuring that the Constitution remains a true expression of their will."
He concluded by warning against endorsing what he described as a flawed process.
"We cannot legitimise a process that silences the very people it claims to consult. The Constitution belongs to the people of Zimbabwe. And its future must be determined by them not imposed upon them."
