Shock and concern are mounting among Zimbabweans, offline and online, over the speed at which Parliamentary public hearings on the proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 have descended into chaos, with scenes of violence, intimidation and disorder widely attributed by critics to Zanu PF’s heavy-handed tactics.
The hearings, where citizens are supposed to freely express their views have instead, in multiple locations, degenerated into volatile gatherings marked by booing, assaults and the systematic silencing of those opposing voices.
Across the country, from Bulawayo to Harare, Chitungwiza, and Kwekwe, videos circulating on social media show volatile scenes where individuals attempting to make submissions are heckled, threatened, or forcibly removed.
On Tuesday at the City Sports Centre in Harare, proceedings degenerated into violence as suspected ruling party supporters allegedly targeted perceived opponents of the Bill.
Journalists covering the event were not spared, with some reportedly rounded up by state agents and ordered to delete footage capturing the chaos inside the venue.
The attack on prominent human rights lawyer, Doug Coltart, has become a focal point of public outrage as.
Coltart was assaulted during the melee, leaving him bruised, while his mobile phone and spectacles were snatched by a Zanu PF central committee member Luckmore Tinashe Gapa while another of his alleged attackers has since been identified as Nicholas Hamadziripi, a Zanu PF district official from Churu in Harare.
These incidents have raised serious concerns about the credibility of the consultation process.
Human rights watchdog, Amnesty International Zimbabwe, has strongly condemned the developments, warning the violence undermines fundamental freedoms and the integrity of public participation.
“Amnesty International strongly condemns the violent attacks witnessed during the public hearings held at City Sports Centre in Harare, where perceived opponents of the Constitutional Amendment Bill, as well as journalists covering the event, were physically assaulted and intimidated,” the organisation said.
“Such callous acts paint a grim picture of the human rights environment in the country, undermine the spirit of genuine consultations and are a blatant attempt to silence dissent.”
The organisation further warned the violence threatens fundamental freedoms, including the rights to expression, association, peaceful assembly and called for an independent investigation into the incidents.
“Authorities must take all necessary steps to prevent acts of violence that could deter individuals from freely exercising their human rights,” Amnesty said, adding that “impunity for such acts must not be tolerated.”
Political reactions have also been swift, with presidential spokesperson for the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Lloyd Damba, describing the hearings as deeply flawed and marred by orchestrated violence.
“The booing, beating, and intimidation of private citizens who intended to make submissions as required by law are unacceptable,” Damba said.
He alleged that since the hearings began on March 30, 2026 citizens across several provinces have been subjected to harassment and violence by “well-organised thugs.”
“Committee chairpersons were also working in cohorts with organised ruling party members, ignoring genuine citizens who wanted to present independent views,” he said.
Damba pointed to multiple verified videos showing citizens being bullied and silenced, arguing that the process has been fundamentally compromised.
“As a party, we have concluded that this exercise is mere tokenism, and the ruling party is hell-bent on achieving its goal through intimidation. This has rendered the entire process null and voidable,” he added.
The MDC has since called for a demonstration in Harare on April 4, urging citizens to mobilise in defence of the Constitution.
Beyond political actors, analysts and commentators have also weighed in, painting a troubling picture of the current political climate.
Legal scholar, Dr Alfred Mavedzenge described the developments as a classic case of “autocratic legalism.”
“In Zimbabwe, the faction around President Emmerson Mnangagwa is engaging in what we call autocratic legalism,” Dr Mavedzenge said.
“This involves undertaking legal reforms purportedly to strengthen governance, when the real intention is to consolidate power.”
Dr Mavedzenge argued that the apparent mobilisation of supporters at hearings, coupled with the suppression of dissenting voices, suggests an attempt to simulate public support without genuinely testing it through democratic means.
“While refusing to hold a referendum, authorities are busing and coaching people to speak in favour of the amendment, while those opposed face repression,” he said.
Other commentators echoed similar sentiments, warning that the unfolding events fit a broader pattern of manipulated democratic processes.
“A regime that conducted sham elections is more likely to revert to the same script — sham constitutional hearings and even a sham referendum,”said a political analyst Brighton Mutebuka online.
In online platforms, public reaction has been unfiltered.
Social commentator, Treasure Basopo ,condemned what he described as “hoodlumism,” accusing ruling party supporters of resorting to violence to dominate proceedings.
“The use of violence as a means of expression has no place in a democratic society,” Basopo wrote, adding that the harassment of opposition figures and activists was “barbaric and uncivilised.”
Similarly, Siphosami Malunga suggested that the chaotic scenes may reflect deeper fractures within the ruling party itself.
“It’s clear that CAB3 is actually unpopular within Zanu PF,” Malunga said.
“It’s the brainchild of the oligarchs who have captured Zanu, the tenderperneurs who use illicit money to bus and bribe people to choreograph the Parliamentary consultation charade. It won’t end well. However, it goes.”
The irony of the situation has not been lost on observers as the Bill, reportedly aimed at addressing governance issues and reducing political “toxicity” is debated in an environment marked by hostility and violence.
Apart from the widespread condemnation, others have also been questioning why the police are not protecting citizens from harassment, as images and videos that continue circulating show disorder unfolding in the presence of security personnel.