By Nigel Pfunde
HARARE — The government has abandoned controversial plans to merge the Zimbabwe Gender Commission with the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission and scrapped a proposal that would have allowed traditional leaders to engage in partisan politics, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi told Parliament on Wednesday.
The concessions came as Ziyambi wound up the Second Reading debate on the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 3) Bill, a day before the National Assembly is expected to hold a crucial vote on the legislation.
Addressing lawmakers, Ziyambi confirmed the two provisions had been removed in line with recommendations from the Joint Parliamentary Committee that scrutinised the Bill, following widespread opposition.
On the proposed merger of the Gender Commission and the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission, Ziyambi said legislators from across the political divide had unanimously rejected the measure.
“If you allow me to speak about the issue of the Gender Commission, all the Members were in unity that this clause and that the provision be not adopted,” he said.
The minister said government had initially proposed the merger to achieve institutional efficiency but had ultimately yielded to public consultations and parliamentary scrutiny.
“The argument was made in good faith, but consultation is not theatre,” Ziyambi said. “Let no-one say the people spoke into the wind.”
The proposal was formally withdrawn during the Committee Stage of the Bill on Wednesday evening.
Ziyambi further confirmed that government had dropped a clause that would have permitted chiefs to participate in partisan politics. He said the amendment had sought to address what government viewed as a constitutional contradiction allowing chiefs to sit in Parliament while barring them from political activity.
However, he said parliamentary consultations had raised concerns that traditional leaders, who preside over customary courts and community disputes, must maintain political neutrality.
“This principle is unassailable. The government is persuaded,” Ziyambi said.
The clause was subsequently removed during the Committee Stage.
According to Ziyambi, debate on the Bill attracted unprecedented participation, with 182 MPs contributing over seven sitting days. He said 111 legislators supported the Bill, 31 backed it with reservations on specific provisions, 10 raised concerns without taking a final position, and 30 opposed it outright.
He also cited figures from the Joint Committee’s consultations, saying more than 540,000 written submissions had been received, the majority supporting the Bill.
Much of the debate centred on the Bill’s most contentious proposals, including replacing the direct popular vote for President with election by Parliament, and extending the current electoral cycle from 2028 to 2030.
Opposition Citizens Coalition for Change MPs argued that the proposed changes would unlawfully benefit incumbents and should be subjected to a referendum.
Ziyambi rejected those claims, arguing that the amendments do not alter the Constitution’s two-term presidential limit.
“The national electoral cycle provisions, which this Bill amends, carry no cap or limit on any person and they never have,” he said.
He maintained that the constitutional provision limiting a president to two terms remained untouched.
Following Ziyambi’s response, MPs entered the Committee Stage, debating the Bill clause by clause into the early hours of Thursday. The amended Bill was subsequently referred to the Parliamentary Legal Committee before returning to the House for consideration and a final vote.
With Zanu PF commanding a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly and overwhelming control of the Senate, the Bill is widely expected to pass before being transmitted to the upper chamber for consideration.
