Nhamodzenyika Tururu Tumbare

Public Hearings soliciting people’s views and input on Constitutional Amendment Bill Number 3 were conducted in all 71 administrative districts of Zimbabwe by 11 Parliamentary teams. The consultation phase, spanning 90 days, was concluded on 2 April 2026. These hearings, covering all administrative districts of the country - 71 of them - went exceedingly well, and the people spoke boldly in support of Constitutional Amendment Bill Number 3. These Public Hearings were all part of the 90-day consultation process, starting from 16 February 2026, soliciting public input into the Bill. The people spoke, and loudly so, in support of Number 3. The people unreservedly and overwhelmingly supported the proposed Constitutional Amendment Number 3 Bill. All went well countrywide except for the Public Hearing held at the City Sports Centre in Harare on Tuesday, 31 March 2026. This was the only bad apple, from what I can gather, among all public hearings held countrywide. The City Sports Centre Public Hearing was marred by agents provocateurs and the naivety of some Zanupf supporters, who failed to read that the end game of the agents provocateurs was to disrupt the proceedings without showing their hand, and to attract international attention and condemnation to the consultation process. I always give this example to those who care to listen: when a person attends a Public Hearing with a predictable, overwhelming 99.99% of Zanupf supporters, with the intention to express publicly and loudly a 0.01% opposition view, I consider that provocative to the 99.99% of the attendees. The reaction is predictable, by all accounts in Zimbabwe, as would be the case in any part of the world. I am sure those who have studied Behavioral Sciences will testify to this kind of behaviour by the masses at a mass gathering. Over the Easter religious events, the readings from the Bible revealed this predictable behaviour of the masses over the fate of Jesus Christ. The behaviour of the masses, when assembled together, is highly predictable. An assembled crowd of people of one mind does not take kindly to a differing viewpoint. I say this not to justify what happened at City Sports Centre, but to point out the frailty of human beings the world over, from time immemorial, and to highlight the foolishness of Doug Coltart and his ilk in attending that public hearing with the intention to voice opposition to Constitutional Amendment Number 3. Behaviorally, we are no different from the Jews of the year AD 33. I cannot conclude this piece without commenting on the allegation made against Zanupf Central Committee member, Cde Luckmore Tinashe Gapa, that he snatched lawyer Doug Coltart’s cellphone, and that this was caught on camera. This allegation is serious and highly defamatory against Cde Gapa, and causes reputational damage to the public image of Zanupf as an ideologically sound revolutionary party. Media reports that Doug Coltart has filed crime charges against Cde Luckmore Tinashe Gapa, a member of the Zanupf Central Committee, with the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), are understandable - well and good. If the Doug Coltart allegations are proven true in a court of law, this will constitute damning evidence against the Zanupf Central Committee member involved, Cde Luckmore Tinashe Gapa, and, as a consequence, he would not escape disciplinary charges against him by Zanupf. Cde Gapa, if convicted, stands to be hauled before the Zanupf National Disciplinary Committee, chaired by our National Chairman, Cde Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, to answer to the charges. If convicted, Cde Luckmore Tinashe Gapa will not have a place of honour in the Zanupf Central Committee. You see, the Zanupf Central Committee is the highest organ of Zanupf in between Congresses, and is made up of people of high integrity and probity. It will not have room for someone convicted of snatching or stealing cellphones from members of the public, even if the victims are members of the opposition. As for young Doug Coltart, I regret that he has, most unfortunately and regrettably, inherited his father’s political Rhodesian Front genes. How I wish he had moved to the left politically and become a Zanupf youth cadre. He is being made to unfairly atone for the colonial sins of his father, David Coltart, the current Mayor of Bulawayo City Council. Those who have eyes, let them “eye”; and those who have ears, “ear”. Nokuti hatigoni kurega kutaura izvotakaona neizvotakanzwa.

This nonsense must be brought to a stop. Zimbabweans are not foolish people. Enough of it.