HARARE – Former opposition activist Godfrey Tsenengamu says the debate over the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Bill No. 3 (CAB 3) was ultimately won through grassroots mobilisation rather than social media activism, following reports that ZANU-PF’s Harare Province submitted 150,000 written views in support of the proposed constitutional changes.
Tsenengamu’s comments came after ZANU-PF announced that thousands of submissions collected through its structures had been delivered to Parliament as part of the public consultation process on the Bill.
While acknowledging that opposition to CAB 3 appeared widespread on social media platforms, Tsenengamu argued that many critics failed to participate in the formal channels established by Parliament.
“Let us be factual and not emotional here,” Tsenengamu said in a social media post.
“Yes, I personally witnessed very huge numbers of people who are anti-CAB3 on various social media platforms and any snap survey on social media showed that the majority of participants were against CAB3. But the question is, how many of those who were venting their frustrations here ever submitted their written views to Parliament, or did it just end here on social media?”
According to Tsenengamu, ZANU-PF activated its grassroots machinery to gather signatures, affidavits and petitions in support of the Bill, resulting in massive submissions from several provinces.
He cited reports that Harare and Mashonaland West provinces alone submitted hundreds of thousands of petitions to Parliament, arguing that the figures reflected an organised mobilisation campaign by the ruling party.
“Did those opposed to CAB3 take time to put their views down and submit them to Parliament?” he asked.
His remarks have added a new dimension to the ongoing debate surrounding CAB 3, which has sharply divided opinion across the political spectrum.
Supporters of the Bill argue that the proposed amendments are necessary for continuity, stability and national development, while critics contend that some provisions could undermine constitutional safeguards and democratic principles.
As Parliament continues deliberations on the Bill, Tsenengamu’s intervention highlights the growing focus on participation in formal democratic processes, with the former activist suggesting that public opinion carries the greatest weight when it is formally submitted to lawmakers rather than expressed solely online.
