@ Catholic Bishops
The Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference (ZCBC) has strongly criticised the proposed Constitutional Amendment No. 3, warning that the changes threaten democratic principles and undermine the supremacy of the people's will.
In a pastoral statement titled "In Defence of Truth, Justice, and the Voice of the People", the bishops said the amendment poses a serious challenge to the foundations of national governance, trust, and the common good.
Quoting scripture - "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?" (Mark 8:36) - the bishops urged Zimbabweans to reflect deeply on the implications of altering the Constitution without broad public consent.
"Our Constitution is more than law; it is a solemn covenant, born from the overwhelming will of Zimbabweans in 2013, embodying our collective hopes for justice, unity, peace, and prosperity," the bishops said.
They emphasised that the voice of the people must remain supreme, noting that all legitimate authority flows from citizens, who entrusted leaders with a five‑year mandate ending in 2028.
"Proposals that shift power from the electorate to a few - such as weakening direct presidential elections, extending terms without fresh consent, or bypassing safeguards like referendums - diminish this sacred trust," the statement read.
The bishops reminded President Emmerson Mnangagwa of his own oft‑quoted phrase, "the voice of the people is the voice of God", warning that sidelining public participation risks fracturing national unity and the spirit of ubuntu/unhu.
They expressed deep concern that the amendment would consolidate power in the Executive by:
- Removing direct presidential elections, distancing leaders from the people's mandate.
- Extending terms of office from five to seven years without seeking a new mandate.
- Circumventing Section 328(7), which prevents incumbents from benefiting from term extensions without a referendum.
- Increasing presidential control over judicial and prosecutorial appointments, risking political interference.
- Weakening electoral integrity by transferring key functions away from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).
- Allowing traditional leaders to act in a partisan manner, altering their constitutional role as neutral community custodians.
The bishops warned that weakening checks and balances threatens peace, justice, and public confidence in national institutions.
"Peace endures not by force, but through fair, transparent, and independent institutions," they said, adding that captured institutions "divide rather than unite".
Addressing Members of Parliament and Senators directly, the bishops urged them to resist political pressure and uphold the common good.
"You bear a sacred duty before God and the nation: to govern for the common good, not personal or partisan gain," they wrote, quoting Matthew 10:28 to encourage moral courage.
The ZCBC concluded by calling for truth, justice, and fidelity to the Constitution as the nation debates the proposed amendment.
“A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush!”
The proverb means it is better to be content with what you have than to risk losing everything by seeking to get more.
Zanu PF is a party of ruthless thugs who have managed to retain their iron grip on absolute power by twisting this proverb by convincing the people to give up the bird in hand for 200, not just 2 a hundred or even a thousand times that.
You can fool SOME people ALL the time but you cannot fool ALL people ALL the time!
Well Zanu PF and MDC/CCC leaders have managed to fool the overwhelming majority of our people for 46 and 26 years and counting respectively. Even some of the Zimbabweans, the Catholic Bishops for example, one would think should KNOW better have been fooled.
The Catholic Bishops condemned Zimbabwe’s 2023 elections as flawed because Zanu PF blatantly rigged the process. SADC and AU election observers too condemned the election process as flawed and illegal.
“Conclusion 13.3
The SEOM (SADC Election Observer Mission) noted that, as detailed in sections 6 and 7 of this report, some aspects of the Harmonised Elections fell short of the requirements of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, the Electoral Act, and the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections (2021),” stated the SEOM report.
Mnangagwa and his regime ARE illegitimate because they did not get the people’s mandate to rule Zimbabwe. This is the bird in hand!
Mnangagwa did not want the nation to dwell on the rigged 2023 elections and so he introduced the ED2030 Agenda in which he was to extend his stay in office beyond the maximum two term limits. The 100 000 birds in the bush! It worked!
The irony is if the people had pursued the issue of rigged 2023 elections to its full conclusion, ie have Mnangagwa and his regime declared illegitimate, they would not be ED2030 Agenda/ Constitutional amendment No. 3 to worry about.
It is bad enough the ordinary Zimbabweans were easily conned with Amendment No. 3 into forgetting Zanu PF is illegitimate yet again, but not the Catholic Bishops too. Fcuk me!
The Zanu PF vote rigging juggernaut in full swing. And Zanu PF still has its trump card - it can and will blatantly rig the process! The nation would have had a fighting chance pursuing the legitimacy battle following the rigged 2023 elections.
Stopping amendment No. 3 will stop Mnangagwa staying on beyond 2028 but will not stop the regime rigging 2028 elections and imposing another Zanu PF dictator. The worst case scenario is that the amendment sails through and the Zanu PF regime gains even more dictatorial powers and consolidate its iron grip on power. And all because the nation did not have the common sense to focus on the fight to deny Zanu PF legitimacy for rigging 2023 elections!
@ Isaac Makomichi
ReplyDeleteNo amount of cheap propaganda can ever force the nation to forget that Chiwenga a a murderous and tyrannical thug!
Chiwenga and Mnangagwa master minded 2008 Operation Mavhotera Papi to punish the nation for daring to reject Zanu PF in the nearest thing Zanu PF has holding to free and fair elections. “Zanu PF ichatonga kusvika madonki amera nyanga!” Chiwenga has boasted.
You repeated attempts to ignore historic facts speaks volumes of your personality cult mentality. To you, Chiwenga is a demigod who can do no wrong; you ignore the mountain of evidence proving that he is corrupt, incompetent and a murderous thug because it does not fit the demigod image.
Zimbabwe is a failed state because we have millions out there, on both sides of the political divide, with a personality cult mentality. Instead of electing competent leaders the idiots have recycled the same deadwood over and over again.
Leaders like Chiwenga or Chamisa have already proven beyond doubt that they are corrupt and incompetent and yet the nation is agonising over letting them go. The leaders themselves are exploiting this weakness and cultivate the demigod mystic!
Chiwenga “a leader, not a looter!” How nauseating!
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/W62-UHC7P7Y
ReplyDeleteZimbabwe's Catholic Bishops rightly condemned Zanu PF for blatantly rigging the 2023 elections. The regime IS illegitimate and pressure should have been brought to bear to get the regime removed a.s.a.p. and that this does not happen ever again.
Mnangagwa knew that his regime would not resist the sustain pressure demanding the implementation of democratic reforms and end this curse of rigged elections. He throw into the politic ring ED2030 Agenda which has since morphed into Constitutional amendment No. 3, seeking to extend his stay in office beyond 2028. He knew this would outrage the naive and gullible into forgetting he is illegitimate. It worked!
It is bad enough that povo fell for this typical Zanu PF dirty trick, it is unforgivable that the Catholic Bishops too were so easily conned. To those to whom much was given, much is expected!