Former minister Matinenga petitions Parliament over Constitutional Amendment No. 3

Former Minister of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs Advocate Eric Taurai Matinenga has petitioned Clerk of Parliament Kennedy Chokuda, warning that Constitutional Amendment No. 3 risks violating his constitutional right to vote.


In his letter, Matinenga said he is a long‑standing registered voter who has participated in every election since independence.

“I am Advocate Eric Taurai Matinenga. I am a citizen of Zimbabwe. I am a registered voter. I have diligently exercised my political right to vote since independence in 1980,” he wrote, adding that he resides in Greendale, Harare, with his rural home in Murambinda, Buhera.

Matinenga served as MP for Buhera West from 2008 to 2013 before voluntarily stepping down, saying he believed in short, impactful terms that allow new ideas to emerge. In 2009, he was appointed Minister of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs, a role in which he oversaw the negotiation and drafting of the 2013 Constitution.

He said the Constitution, approved by more than 96% of voters, is now under attack from Amendment No. 3 of 2026.

“These submissions strongly oppose, with respect, the Amendment as retrogressive, anti‑people, anti‑proper governance and unashamedly bringing back the Big Man Syndrome which the Constitution sought to banish,” he wrote.

Matinenga traced Zimbabwe’s constitutional history, noting that the Lancaster House Constitution was unpopular and heavily amended, eventually introducing an executive presidency in the mid‑1980s. He said this entrenched the “Big Man Syndrome”, with attempts to turn Zimbabwe into a one‑party state.

He highlighted that the push for a new constitution continued through the 1990s, with the National Constitutional Assembly leading the charge. The government’s 2000 draft was rejected by voters, and only after the 2008 political crisis did the Government of National Unity deliver the people‑driven 2013 Constitution.

Matinenga argued that the 2013 Constitution, though not perfect, significantly curtailed excessive executive power. It introduced a two‑term presidency and, through Section 328, ring‑fenced term limits by requiring two referenda for any amendment affecting them.

He said this understanding was shared by all negotiating parties and was publicly affirmed by senior ZANU‑PF officials, including Patrick Chinamasa.

Matinenga emphasised that the Constitution is people‑centred, with executive, legislative and judicial authority derived from the people. He said Section 328 must be read in the context of these foundational principles.

His petition concludes that Amendment No. 3 is “retrogressive to the spirit of a united people of Zimbabwe who endorsed the Constitution in 2013”.