By Correspondent
President Emmerson Mnangagwa used Tuesday’s State of the Nation Address to complete his power consolidation scheme : set in motion the laws to operationalise Constitution Amendment No. 3.
Everything else in the SONA; the single-digit inflation claim, the US$10.7bn inflows, the end of load-shedding, the roads and the lithium, was window dressing.
The real headline was tucked in paragraph six of the speech, where Mnangagwa declared:
“Following the successful enactment of Constitutional Amendment Act No. 3, there is a need to undertake consequential amendments to ensure that various pieces of legislation are aligned with the Constitution.”
For the first time, the President publicly listed the consequential legislation Government will now push through Parliament to align with CAA3.
The amendment that now allows Parliament to elect the President, extends terms from 5 to 7 years, returns the voters’ roll to the Registrar General and creates 10 extra Senate seats.
The three Bills are Amendment of the Electoral Act, Amendment of the Constitutional Court Act and Enactment of a new Delimitation Commission Act.
This is the legal scaffolding.
Without these, CAA3 cannot be implemented.
However, with them, the July amendment becomes irreversible.
The President framed the move as continuity and progress, telling the joint sitting:
“The policies we have adopted, as enacted by this esteemed Parliament, are unlocking investments, accelerating economic growth and creating vital jobs.
“Empowerment opportunities, especially for women and young people, are being broadened.
“We have every reason to be proud.”
And then, in a line clearly aimed at critics of CAA3:
“My Government is unwavering in its commitment to the rule of law, access to justice, constitutionalism, good governance, and public accountability.”
However, that commitment will be tested by the very Bills he listed.
Why it Matters.
The Electoral Act rewrite will determine who compiles, keeps and audits the voters’ roll.
That task has now shifted from ZEC to the Registrar General’s Office.
Opposition and election watchdogs have called this a regression to the pre-2013 system.
The new Delimitation Commission Act will set new rules for how constituencies are drawn.
This comes after the last delimitation in 2023 was heavily contested.
The Constitutional Court Act amendment is perhaps the most telling.
It comes while the Constitutional Court challenge to CAA3 itself is still pending.
The Court reserved judgment last week after lawyers argued the amendment was passed without a referendum.
Mnangagwa is now moving to amend the very law that governs the court hearing the challenge.
He closed the legislative agenda with a call to action that leaves no doubt about direction.
“However, the journey continues; much work lies ahead.
“Let us leverage this Fourth Session of the 10th Parliament to reaffirm our commitment to scale up transformational results in all sectors of the economy and levels of society.”
While state media led with jobs and investments the actual story is different.
Tuesday was the official start of the post CAA3 legal order.
The economy figures Mnangagwa quoted, 27.9% agriculture growth, load-shedding eliminated, manufacturing recovery, will be debated next week.
However, markets and embassies were listening for one thing only.
Is there any reversal on CAA3?
Tuesday’s answer, in his own words, was no. It’s full steam ahead.
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