Zanu PF MP suspended over Constitutional Amendment vote absences

Zanu-PF Member of Parliament for Insiza South, Spare Sithole, has reportedly been suspended from the ruling party for three years after being found guilty of "treachery" for missing two parliamentary votes on the Constitutional Amendment (No. 3) Bill.

Sithole was brought before a Matabeleland South provincial disciplinary committee chaired by Albert Nguluvhe, where he faced five charges. While neither Nguluvhe nor Sithole commented on the outcome, party sources said the legislator was found guilty and handed a three-year suspension.

According to the sources, the suspension still requires ratification by the Zanu PF National Disciplinary Committee and the party's Politburo before it takes effect.

Nguluvhe is regarded as an ally of Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga and is related to the Vice President's wife, Colonel Miniyothabo Chiwenga.

The disciplinary action stems from Sithole's absence during two key National Assembly votes held on June 18 and June 30, when lawmakers considered the Constitutional Amendment (No. 3) Bill. The legislation was eventually passed by Parliament and later signed into law by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Party officials reportedly questioned Sithole's explanation that he had been ill on one of the voting days after evidence emerged that he had instead attended a function in his constituency where he made a donation.

Sithole, a war veteran, owns a security company and also has interests in gold mining.

He was not the only Zanu PF legislator to miss one of the votes. Chikomba West MP and Information Communication Technology Minister Tatenda Mavetera also reportedly failed to participate in the first vote after arriving after the chamber doors had been closed. She is said to have later explained the circumstances to President Mnangagwa and voted in favour of the Bill during the second vote on June 30.

Political observers say the disciplinary action against Sithole could signal a broader crackdown on dissent within Zanu PF following internal disagreements over the constitutional amendments.

The Constitutional Amendment (No. 3) Act was gazetted on July 7 after President Mnangagwa assented to it. Among its provisions, the law extends presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years, with the extension applying to the incumbent President and the current Parliament, effectively postponing elections that had been scheduled for 2028.

The Act also changes the method of electing future presidents by providing for election through Parliament instead of a direct popular vote. It further expands the President's powers in the appointment of judges and the Prosecutor General, establishes a new delimitation commission and transfers voter registration functions from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to the Registrar General.

The legislation is now the subject of several constitutional challenges.

Former Binga North MP Prince Dubeko Sibanda has approached the Constitutional Court seeking to have provisions extending the terms of the incumbent President, Members of Parliament and councillors declared unconstitutional, arguing they violate Section 328(7) of the Constitution.

In a separate application, National Constitutional Assembly member Vhurande Mahlupeko has asked the Constitutional Court to nullify the entire Act, contending that Parliament breached Section 328(3) of the Constitution by introducing amendments that were not included in the version of the Bill originally published for public scrutiny.