Centre News Hub
Harare- The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) has strongly condemned the wave of violence, threats, intimidation, and systematic exclusion of dissenting voices that characterized the just ended public hearings on Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 (CAB3).
ARTUZ said it disengaged from these public hearings before they ended, saying they had been captured by partisan interests and reduced to violent platforms that did not reflect the will of the people.
“From the onset, our participation in these hearings was guided by moral duty and civic responsibility, not because the process itself met the standards of legality, transparency, or democratic integrity. The process is a sham stage-managed, and was done to sanitize the dictator’s throat characterised by the busing of people, and designed to manufacture consent rather than reflect genuine public opinion” said ARTUZ.
The Union said constitutionally the hearings were intended to be a democratic platform for citizens to freely express their views but instead degenerated into a theatre of coercion, fear, repression, ruling party rallies, violence, and intimidation.
“We believe in a transparent process where citizens can freely express themselves without fear, coercion, or manipulation. Reports from both mainstream media and social media platforms reveal deeply disturbing incidents. At a public hearing in Harare, human rights lawyer Doug Coltart was physically assaulted by individuals aligned to pro-amendment groups, with his phone stolen and personal eye-glasses damaged as he attempted to exit an increasingly hostile environment” added ARTUZ.
ARTUZ further claimed citizens opposing the Bill have been silenced through abductions, threats, and denial of the opportunity to speak during public hearings.
“Public consultations have been dominated by partisan actors, undermining the integrity of the democratic process. Incidents of abductions and assaults of individuals who voiced opposition have been reported in all areas across Zimbabwe. Social media videos and posts clearly show acts of harassment and physical intimidation of participants” further said ARTUZ.
ARTUZ is also deeply concerned that the environment at these hearings is no longer safe for ordinary citizens, teachers, and workers to freely express themselves, the voices of educators and other stakeholders are being deliberately excluded, and the constitutional consultation process has been compromised and lacks credibility.
“As a union representing educators who are key stakeholders in national development, we reject any process that undermines democratic principles, transparency, and inclusivity” lamented ARTUZ.
The Union has demanded a referendum conducted under fair, transparent, and democratic conditions and all citizens to find alternative ways of expressing themselves outside this compromised platform arguing that the future of Zimbabwe cannot be built on fear and coercion.
