Zimbabwe court voids Cabinet approval of Amendment Bill No. 3

A court draft just put Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 on life support and warned the President to keep his pen capped.

Constitutional Court application filed

• Reuben Zulu fronts the case as 1st applicant.
• Godfrey Gurira, Shoorai Nyamangodo, Joseph Chinyangare, Digmore Knowledge Ndiya, and Joseph Chinguwa are listed applicants.
• Professor Madhuku moved the Constitutional Court for war veterans.
• Zimbabwe Human Rights Defenders flagged the filing publicly.

Draft order guts Amendment Bill No. 3

• The Constitutional Court of Zimbabwe issued a draft order in Harare.
• Judges granted the application after reviewing the filed papers.
• The Court declared the Cabinet's handling of Bill No. 3 invalid.
• Approval of the amendment by the Cabinet got labeled null and void.

Restrictions placed on the President

• The President of the Republic of Zimbabwe stands as 1st respondent.
• The order blocks him from signing or advancing Bill No. 3.
• Any similar move clashing with sections 67 and 328 gets barred.
• Attorney General of Zimbabwe appears as 2nd respondent.

Constitutional tenure limits reinforced

• Section 175(6)(b) underpins the court's equitable remedy.
• The bench ruled that tenure extension tricks cannot benefit an incumbent.
• Section 328(7) shields the office holder from retroactive perks.
• No costs were awarded under the draft order.