Online Reporter
Fidelis Munyoro, [email protected]
PRESSURE group Ibhetshu Likazulu’s attempt to reinstate a case challenging constitutional amendments tied to President Mnangagwa’s term extension has been dismissed.
Ibhetshu Likazulu, led by Mbuso Fuzwayo, had initially withdrawn its legal challenge against the proposed changes, citing a campaign to discredit the organisation and its leadership.
However, the group’s withdrawal violated court rules by failing to pay the respondents’ wasted costs — President Mnangagwa, Zanu-PF, Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi and Attorney General.
Despite corrective measures and a fresh withdrawal filing, the case was deemed finalised.
Fuzwayo later sought to revive the matter, claiming new advice, but the Registrar of the Court ruled it legally impossible.
Insisting on judicial intervention, Fuzwayo was granted access to Justice Anne Mary Gowora, who heard arguments from all parties.
Advocate Edley Mubaiwa represented Zanu-PF, with Sylvester Munyaradzi Hashiti appearing for President Mnangagwa. Justice Minister Ziyambi and Attorney General Virginia Mabiza also participated.
The lawyers unanimously argued that a case withdrawal terminates proceedings, with no legal framework for reinstatement by letter or otherwise.
Justice Gowora pressed Fuzwayo’s lawyer, Mr Nqobani Sithole, for legal justification. Mr Sithole conceded errors, acknowledging the withdrawal rendered the case irretrievable.
The initial challenge argued that constitutional amendments benefiting an incumbent President were unlawful.
In March, Ibhetshu Likazulu announced its withdrawal in a statement, citing consultations and external pressure.
The group described the move as part of a broader effort to resist President Mnangagwa’s presidency extension to 2030, labelling the constitutional amendments contentious.
Far from a fleeting exercise in legislative tinkering, the Constitutional Amendment No 3 Bill stands as a monumental structural reform.
It is a calculated surgery designed to stabilise the machinery of governance, fortify State institutions, and relentlessly propel Zimbabwe toward its Vision 2030 horizon.
The mandate from the grassroots is deafening.
During a sweeping 90-day consultation crusade that reached every corner of the nation’s 71 districts, the people spoke.
Their voices were not merely heard; they resonated with an unambiguous, bold, and overwhelming thunder in support of CAB3.
Minister Ziyambi has emphatically rejected any notion of opacity, declaring that CAB3 follows a strictly transparent and participatory roadmap.
Laying out the legislative trajectory with precision, he stated:
“The Committee will collate all feedback into a written report for Parliament. The Bill will then be introduced in the week of May 18th and I will deliver the Second Reading speech explaining each clause in detail. Debate in the National Assembly will follow, guided by the Committee’s report. There will be no referendum because the Bill does not touch entrenched provisions requiring one.”
This rigorous procedural blueprint dismantles claims that the Bill is being rushed or imposed.
Instead, it reveals a structured process that not only adheres to constitutional mandates but places the citizenry’s voice squarely at the centre of the nation’s legislative future.
Peter Tanyanyiwa