Alleged Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officers stormed the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) offices on Herbert Chitepo Avenue in Harare this morning (Sunday, 01 March 2026), reportedly rounding up attendees and assaulting several members, including NCA leader Professor Lovemore Madhuku. The attack comes amid growing opposition to Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3, gazetted on 16 February 2026, which seeks to extend presidential and parliamentary terms to 2030, a move critics say violates the 2013 Constitution and requires a public referendum.
According to NCA spokesperson Madock Chivasa, the officers allegedly disrupted the meeting violently, leaving several attendees injured. The incident has sparked widespread condemnation from opposition figures, civil society groups, and journalists, who say it reflects an alarming erosion of democratic space. Police and government officials have yet to comment, raising further concerns over civic freedoms in the country.
Human rights activist and journalist Rashweat Mukundu described the incident as “shameful barbarism by @PoliceZimbabwe, showing that those pushing the constitutional amendments have no confidence in their ill-fated project.”
UK-based lawyer Brighton Mutebuka also condemned the attack, tweeting:
“I am appalled to learn of the brutal assault on @ProfMadhuku & the NCA by alleged members of the ZRP for daring to challenge Agenda 2030. This savage attack reaffirms that Zimbabwe’s challenge is the absence of constitutionalism.”
The attack follows a recent abduction of two NCA members outside the organisation’s headquarters at 348 Herbert Chitepo Avenue, Harare. Professor Madhuku confirmed the incident, saying:
“This will not stop the campaign against the Constitutional Amendment No.3 Bill. These two NCA members were abducted shortly after our meeting on mobilising against the Bill. Tortured and dumped. Why? We will win.”
Professor Madhuku has been actively challenging Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3, 2026 in court. The legislation, critics argue, threatens to undermine Zimbabwe’s democracy by extending presidential terms from five to seven years, including that of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, effectively keeping him in office until 2030. The Bill also proposes shifting the presidential vote from citizens to members of Parliament, a move the NCA and other civil society groups argue weakens democratic accountability.
The NCA and opposition leaders say today’s incident highlights the growing threats to civic space and the urgent need for public vigilance as debates over the amendment continue.
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