By Tendai Chisiri
“USD31 million allocated for procurement of parliamentary votes… USD50,000 per MP was approved.”
HARARE – A group of retired generals and former senior civil servants has accused President Emmerson Mnangagwa of being the “principal architect and beneficiary” of Constitutional Amendment Bill Number 3, and alleged a $31 million budget was set aside to bribe Members of Parliament for its passage.
In a press statement issued 2 June 2026 by Air Marshal Henry Muchena (Retired) on behalf of the group, the former officials claimed CAB3 is a “personal and political project of a cabal” that does not reflect the will of Zimbabweans.
Consultation Process Rejected
The group, which submitted a petition to Parliament on 18 March 2026 during CAB3 consultations, described the process as “choreographed, imposed upon the people”. They allege citizens were compelled to sign “thousands of fraudulent letters of support” while opposing voices were excluded by selective media coverage.
They reiterated their call for CAB3 to be subjected to a national referendum, saying their request remains unanswered by Parliament.
Meetings with President “Failed to Produce Results”
According to the statement, two formal meetings with President Mnangagwa were held on 18 and 19 May 2026. The group said they warned him about the dangers of CAB3, including alienation of citizens from the constitutional order.
They quote his response as: “whoever wins, wins,” adding that this “lays bare the contempt with which constitutional concerns… are regarded at the highest level of executive authority”. The group further claims the President and businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei are the main beneficiaries of the amendment.
Serious Corruption Allegations
The most explosive claims relate to alleged bribery. The group says they have “credible information” that provincial party chairmen were induced with motor vehicles and USD100,000 each to support CAB3.
They further allege that at a private 40th birthday function for Hon. Tatenda Mavetera, Mr Tagwirei convened a closed caucus with Ministers Ziyambi Ziyambi, Mthuli Ncube, Torerayi Moyo, and Martin Rushwaya to allocate a USD31 million budget for “procurement of parliamentary votes”. They claim USD50,000 per MP was approved at that meeting.
“These are not allegations we make lightly… IT WILL SIMPLY NOT HAPPEN,” the statement reads.
Legal Challenge + Warning to MPs
Applications challenging CAB3’s constitutionality were filed in the Constitutional Court on 20 May 2026, which the group says they await “with much anxiety”. Additional applications by voters against MPs in their constituencies have also been filed.
The group warned MPs, Senators and proportional representation members that “complicity in CAB3 constitutes a blatant violation of the Constitution” and that the “unlawful extension of Presidential and Parliamentary term limits without consent… will carry enduring and serious political consequences”.
They concluded: “The electorate is watching. History is watching. WE WARN DO NOT BETRAY THE PEOPLE.”These are allegations made in a press statement issued by Retired Air Marshal Henry Muchena for and on behalf of Retired Generals and Former Senior Civil Servants of the Republic of Zimbabwe dated 2 June 2026. Responses from the Office of the President, Mr Kudakwashe Tagwirei, and named Ministers were not immediately available at the time of publication.
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