Zimbabwe: Parliament Received Over Half a Million Public Submissions On Contentious Constitutional Amendment Bill

Parliament received over half a million submissions on the contentious Constitutional Amendment Bill Number 3 during the window of public hearings, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Justice, Eddison Zvobgo has revealed.

The Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Ziyambi Ziyambi, made the first reading of the contentious Constitutional Amendment Bill in Parliament on Tuesday.

The second reading is also expected soon with the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee following with the presentation of a report, a culmination of the public hearings.

Thereafter Parliament is expected to hold debate before putting the proposed changes to a vote, and it is expected to sail through due to the division and fragmentation of the opposition.

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The Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Justice, Eddison Zvobgo, said over half a million submissions were made to Parliament.

"The whole process should be complete by the end of June, as the minister indicated yesterday. We are almost complete. We had over 500,000 and now we are simply mopping up and consolidating and breaking them down into various sectors of the population," said Zvobgo.

ZANU PF has left nothing to chance in its bid to extend the tenure of President Mnangagwa beyond the constitutionally stipulated two terms, in a move that has reportedly divided the ruling party.

The concluded public hearings on the bill were largely dominated by ZANU PF members, with some opposition figures crying foul over the process.

Zvobgo said his committee is ready to table a report before the National Assembly.

"The process for the Constitutional Amendment Bill Number 3 is still ongoing. He will do the second reading, and that is when the committee on Justice will present its report to Parliament," said Zvobgo.

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