HOME Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe has claimed that the ruling Zanu PF party would have taken President Emmerson Mnangagwa to court had he refused to sign Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 (CAB3) into law, arguing that the Head of State was constitutionally obliged to assent to the legislation once Parliament had completed the required processes.
Speaking in Shona during a Zanu PF gathering in Mashonaland Central, where he also serves as the party's provincial chairman, Kazembe praised the 83-year-old President for what he described as unwavering respect for the Constitution.
"Let us also thank Shumba Murambwi for being a constitutionalist. President Mnangagwa showed that he is a true constitutionalist who follows the Constitution. The country spoke and said this is what we want. He stood aside and said, 'I am a constitutionalist; you should do what is in line with the Constitution,"' Kazembe said.
He added that had Mnangagwa interfered with the constitutional processes or declined to sign the Bill when it reached his desk, Zanu PF would have sought legal recourse.
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"If he had refused, we would have taken him to court because he would have been refusing to do what the Constitution requires. But he fulfilled his constitutional duty, and we thank him," Kazembe said.
Mnangagwa recently assented to the Constitutional Amendment Act No. 3 (CAA3), a law that has generated widespread political and legal debate. One of its most significant provisions effectively postpones Zimbabwe's next harmonised elections from 2028 to 2030 by extending the life of the current Parliament and local authorities by two years. As a result, Mnangagwa's current term, as well as the tenure of Members of Parliament and councillors elected in 2023, will also run until 2030.
The amendment introduces several other far-reaching changes to Zimbabwe's governance framework. These include increasing the number of non-constituency Members of Parliament through additional women and youth quota seats, altering the procedure for filling vacancies in Parliament, and changing the composition and appointment process of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission. The law also provides for the elevation of the Prosecutor-General to a constitutional office and makes further adjustments affecting the judiciary and the public service.
The enactment of CAA3 has drawn mixed reactions, with supporters describing it as a constitutional refinement, while critics argue that it weakens democratic accountability by extending elected officials' terms without a fresh electoral mandate.
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