Centre News Hub
Harare- The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) views the proposed Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 3) Bill of 2026 as a direct assault on the principle of equal citizenship following efforts to grant traditional leaders rights to participate in politics while shutting other critical institutions out.
The vibrant and outspoken teachers Union said for decades, the ruling elite has weaponized the institution of traditional leadership, now, through this Bill, they seek to formalize what they have always condemned which is the transformation of Zimbabwean Chiefs into political commissars.
“The proposed amendment to Section 281 of the Constitution, as outlined in Bill 3 of 2026, states that notwithstanding any other provision, Traditional Leaders shall, in the exercise of their cultural and customary functions, be permitted to affiliate with and support the political party of their choice to ensure national stability and the preservation of traditional values. This is a total betrayal of the 2013 Constitution” said ARTUZ in a statement.
ARTUZ condemned the government for trying to legalise the partisanship of Chiefs to secure rural votes while it continues to use Section 200 of the Constitution as a golden cage for Civil Servants.
Section 200 (3) states that no member of the Civil Service may, in the exercise of their functions (a) act in a partisan manner, (b) further the interests of any political party or cause, (c) prejudice the lawful interests of any political party or cause.
“As teachers of this country we will be forced to demand a level playing field. Why is a Chief allowed to be a politician while a teacher the light of the nation is treated as a second-class citizen? If the government believes that national stability requires traditional leaders to be partisan, then the same logic must apply to the workers who keep this country running” added ARTUZ.
The Union also demanded to have equal political rights arguing that if Chiefs are permitted to affiliate with political parties, the restrictions on Civil Servants under Section 200 must be immediately repealed.
“Teachers and all Civil Servants must be allowed to contest in national and local elections without being forced to resign first. Any teacher who chooses to enter the political arena should be entitled to return to their position should they lose the election, rather than being cast into the wilderness as punishment for exercising their democratic rights” concluded ARTUZ.
The Union made it clear that as teachers they have no aspiration to be partisan as they understand that their duty is to the children of Zimbabwe, regardless of their parents’ political leanings.
ARTUZ said they have made these demands to expose the sheer ridiculousness and hypocrisy of the proposed amendments which allow one group to be partisan while muzzling another with the state creating a tiered system of citizenship.
