The Constitution Leaves No Room for Self-Serving “Insertions”
Tawanda Nyambirai’s recent analysis of Zimbabwe’s Constitution is intellectually stimulating, but constitutionally untenable.
Nyambirai’s argument suggests that Parliament could introduce a seven-year presidential term without triggering a referendum, based on his reading of Sections 91, 95, and 328.
his interpretation mistakes deliberate legal precision for ambiguity and risks normalising an approach that would erode the foundational safeguards of our constitutional democracy.
- alleged vagueness of Section 95
- notion that a new clause could be a mere “insertion” rather than an amendment
- narrow interpretation of “term-limit provisions”
The author respectfully rebuts Nyambirai’s argument, citing a well-established drafting convention.
Author summary: Constitution has no room for self-serving insertions.