Godfrey Gandawa, a self-exiled former Higher Education deputy minister, condemned Zimbabwe's Constitutional Amendment Number 3 Bill on Tuesday.
The criticism highlights a growing divide between the Zimbabwean government's reported popularity and the views of political dissidents living abroad. The bill, known as CAB3, is seen by critics as a tool to consolidate power within the state apparatus.
Gandawa, who previously served as a legislator for Magunje, described the amendment as an attack on democracy. He said the bill represents a choreographed bid to entrench state power and constitutes a form of democratic evasion [1].
A central point of contention is the level of public support for the measure. Government figures suggest that the bill enjoys a 99% public approval rate [1]. Gandawa said this figure is statistical fiction and the number is fabricated [1, 2].
According to Gandawa, the amendment would undermine democratic processes across the country. He said the legislation is designed to bypass genuine public consensus in favor of state control [1, 2].
This public condemnation comes as the Zimbabwean government continues to push the amendment through legislative channels. The clash over the 99% figure [1] underscores the tension regarding how the state measures and reports public sentiment during constitutional shifts [1, 2].
“The bill represents a choreographed bid to entrench state power.”
The dispute over CAB3 reflects a broader struggle over the legitimacy of Zimbabwe's legal framework. When a government claims near-unanimous support for a constitutional change, it often signals a lack of independent polling or an effort to discourage opposition. Gandawa's critique suggests that the amendment may be intended to reduce checks and balances, potentially altering the country's democratic trajectory.
