HARARE — Opposition politician and constitutional lawyer Welshman Ncube has dismissed as fraudulent a statement circulating on social media that bears his name and appears to express support for the proposed Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Bill No. 3 (CAB3).
Speaking to The NewsHawks, Ncube said he had not issued any public position on the controversial constitutional amendment and described the statement attributed to him as fake.
“I have not commented on CAB3,” Ncube said. “I have drafted my thoughts on the matter and revised them several times, but I have not released anything publicly.”
The disputed statement urges a measured assessment of the amendment bill, arguing that constitutional reforms should be evaluated on their merits rather than through partisan political lenses.
According to the document, constitutional amendments should not be viewed as political instruments but as mechanisms that shape governance structures, define the exercise of power, and strengthen accountability.
The statement further argues that public debate around CAB3 has become increasingly polarised, with critics and supporters treating the bill as something that must either be accepted or rejected in its entirety.
It contends that such an approach overlooks the need for detailed constitutional analysis, where individual provisions are assessed independently rather than judged collectively.
The document suggests that while some clauses in the amendment bill warrant closer examination and possible refinement, others seek to address governance and institutional challenges that have emerged since the adoption of the 2013 Constitution.
It also maintains that constitutional reform can be justified where practical experience exposes weaknesses in existing structures, provided any changes do not erode accountability, weaken democratic safeguards, or concentrate power excessively.
The statement concludes by calling for debate to focus on the substance of the proposed amendments rather than political affiliations, arguing that constitutional discourse should be guided by sound legal reasoning and consideration of the country’s long-term governance needs.
However, Ncube has distanced himself from the document, insisting that it does not represent his official position on Amendment Bill No. 3.
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