Advance Munyepere retweetledi
CAB3 Objection Officially Submitted To Parliament By Retired DIO Shepherd Mpeswe
(1) Debunking Official Reasons & Justification For Constitutional Amendments Bill No. 3
Honourable Members, permit me at the outset to address the two principal arguments advanced in support of Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 as the basis for altering our Constitution.
Firstly, it is argued that frequent elections engender a divisive political atmosphere & leave the nation in a continual state of electoral contestation. Secondly, it is contended that the incumbent President has performed commendably & should therefore be afforded an extended tenure in order to complete his developmental programme.
Honourable Members, with the utmost respect, I submit that these arguments are profoundly weak & cannot, by any measure, justify the extension of terms for the President or other elected officials from five to seven years. The assertion that Zimbabwe is in a constant state of electioneering is simply not true. That concern belonged to another era, an era now far behind us. Before the harmonised elections of 2008, it is true that the nation had to endure multiple, staggered polls, parliamentary elections in one year, presidential elections in another & local council elections yet another year later. For instance, Zimbabwe held parliamentary elections in 2000, presidential elections in 2002 & council elections in 2003 whilst preparing for yet another parliamentary election in 2005, a pattern that indeed fuelled national fatigue and political toxicity.
However, since 2008, our electoral system has been harmonised & up to today, every citizen casts their vote for President, Member of Parliament & Councillor in one unified electoral process, once every five years. There is no prolonged campaign season, no endless cycle of contestation. The claim of toxicity born from frequency is therefore baseless. What truly poisons our political atmosphere is not the ballot but the betrayal of its sanctity. It is the failure of those in power to uphold the Constitution, to respect the freedoms & rights of those who disagree. It is the failure of Zimbabwe to abide by SADC & AU guidelines & principles on election conduct. Where elections are neither free nor fair, toxicity is inevitable not because of how often the people vote but because their will is not honoured when they do.
Furthermore, the conduct & behaviour of the incumbent government, the ruling party & its cadres during the post-election period bear directly on whether or not the nation remains perpetually in an election mode. The continued politicisation of important state functions such as Heroes Day, Independence Day, Unity Day & the 21st February Movement, only serves to deepen toxicity within our political environment. It is also a matter of public record that the ruling party often sustains internal factional conflicts by keeping the country in a constant state of political mobilisation. This, therefore, cannot be credibly advanced as a justification for amending the national Constitution. The remedy lies not in constitutional alteration but rather in the exercise of discipline within party structures and a fundamental change in political conduct by the governing party.
As for the argument that the current President is performing well & therefore deserves an extended term, that too, is a deeply flawed & self-serving justification. Constitutional amendments cannot rest on the subjective assessment of one leader’s performance. Indeed, not all citizens share the view that governance has improved. Many argue that corruption has worsened, public accountability has declined & that economic hardships faced by our people have deepened under this current administration.
I therefore urge this august House to let us safeguard the integrity of our country by defending the people’s Constitution, resisting any attempt to dilute it & recommitting ourselves to the ideals that gave birth to our freedom.
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