Members of the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) in Bubi District, Matabeleland North province, have thrown their collective weight behind Constitution Amendment Bill No. 3, unanimously endorsing it at a party-organised meeting on Saturday, March 14.
The gathering took place at Tatazela Community Hall, where party officials travelled from both national and provincial structures to explain the Bill's contents to grassroots members ahead of formal Parliamentary public hearings scheduled for later this month. Constitution Amendment No. 3 is the ruling party's latest effort to revise the 2013 Constitution — a document that itself emerged from a contested national referendum — and does not require a fresh public vote for its changes to take effect.
The Meeting at Tatazela Hall
Provincial secretary Cde Douglas Khoza led the inter-district programme, joined by national committee member Cde Nqaba Maphosa and Bubi constituency legislator Cde Simelisizwe Sibanda. The two senior officials fielded questions and explained how the proposed amendments align with party objectives.
Khoza said the Bill's changes could proceed through Parliament without a referendum, telling those present, as quoted by The Chronicle, that authority rests with elected ZANU-PF lawmakers.
"They will not act independently of the party's directives. I therefore encourage you to place your trust in them," Khoza was quoted as saying.
Longstanding party member Cde Tawanda Nhidza said the briefing had resolved uncertainties he and others carried into the meeting.
"The explanation we received today cleared doubts and showed how the Bill will strengthen our party and country," Nhidza said.
Members were called on to attend the Parliamentary public hearings in large numbers on 31 March 2026, also at Tatazela Hall, with party leaders framing a high turnout as essential to presenting a united position.
"The success of our advocacy depends on unity and numbers. We call on all cadres to attend the hearings and to engage respectfully but firmly," Khoza said.
Presidential Empowerment Fund Update
The meeting also covered local economic matters. District Coordinating Committee chairman Cde Abednigo Maphosa gave members an update on the Presidential Empowerment Fund, through which loans have been extended to 75 beneficiaries for small enterprise projects. Maphosa said most recipients are repaying on schedule and that a remaining balance of approximately US$3,000 is earmarked for additional communal livestock purchases, following the earlier acquisition of two steers.
"We allocated funds to empower ordinary members so they can sustain their families and create jobs. Most beneficiaries are repaying on schedule and the funds are already stimulating local enterprise," Maphosa said.
Local councillor Ignatious Khabo was acknowledged for contributing transport and food that allowed two planned meetings to be combined into a single, well-attended event.
Also present were national committee member Cde Sikhangezile Ndlovu and central committee members Cdes Sithembiso Ndlovu and Irene Khuphe.
With the March 31 hearings now less than three weeks away, the Bubi gathering signals how the ruling party intends to mobilise its rural base behind the Bill before Parliament formally takes public submissions.
Additional reporting sourced from The Chronicle. The Granite Post has independently verified key details.