Violent attack at Biti’s law firm over resistance to proposed constitutional changes leaves one hospitalised

AN unidentified group of aggressive and allegedly intoxicated men, driving unmarked vehicles, stormed the law firm of prominent opposition figure and Constitutional Defenders Forum (CDF) convenor, Tendai Biti.

The assailants unleashed violence on occupants, leaving Biti’s driver requiring hospital treatment for injuries sustained in the attack.

The incident comes as Biti and the CDF have taken an opposition stance to the controversial Constitutional Amendment Bill Number 3, a piece of legislation that has ignited fierce debate across the nation.

Critics of the Bill have increasingly found themselves targets of intimidation and violence, often attributed to militant affiliates of the ruling Zanu PF party.

Indeed, groups such as the ‘Anti-Presidential Criticism’ and ‘Presidential Mafia’ have openly declared hostility towards individuals like Biti and fellow legal scholar Professor Lovemore Madhuku for their outspoken defiance of the Bill. Disturbingly, the police have largely remained silent on these overt threats.

According to a statement released by the CDF, the assailants who descended upon Biti’s offices yesterday explicitly vowed to thwart the forum’s mission to challenge Constitutional Amendment Bill Number 3.

“Earlier today, a group of unidentified men driving unregistered Toyota Fortuner GD6 and Ford Ranger vehicles besieged the offices of our convener. The men appeared heavily intoxicated and and extremely aggressive. They assaulted our convener’s driver and the women who were with him, beating them with baton sticks while brandishing what appeared to be AK-47 rifles. The driver has sustained injuries,” the CDF confirmed.

The communications desk for the CDF further reported that the attackers issued chilling threats against Biti, explicitly stating their intention to kill him and to inflict even greater harm than that previously meted out to Madhuku recently.

“During this attack, the assailants loudly declared that CDF will not launch in Zimbabwe and repeatedly threatened that they were going to kill Hon. Tendai Biti. They further stated that they had full knowledge of CDF’s activities and chillingly warned that they would ‘do more than what was done to Professor Lovemore Madhuku’,” the CDF statement elaborated.

Curiously, following the violent disruption at Biti’s firm, police officers swiftly moved to cordon off the area, citing the need to “preserve peace and order.”

 However, official statements from the police have since denied any witnessed incident of violence, urging Biti to report the matter if an attack truly occurred.

Constitutional Amendment Bill Number 3, which proposes sweeping changes to Zimbabwe’s governing charter. Amongst its most contentious provisions is a proposed extension of the presidential term limit from five to seven years.

 Another significant alteration aims to restrict the election of the Head of State to Parliament, effectively removing the direct vote of the citizenry for their President.

Legal experts and political analysts across the country have consistently argued that, in accordance with Section 328 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, such fundamental changes necessitate a national referendum to allow for public participation. However, Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, the proponent of the Bill, has dismissed these arguments, asserting that only a two-thirds majority in Parliament is required for its passage.

This legislative pathway is made all the more concerning by the current political landscape. Zanu PF presently commands a dominance of over two-thirds in Parliament, a majority secured following the controversial events of 2023, which saw the alleged hijacking of the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party in the aftermath of the general elections.

This latest violent incident is not an isolated occurrence for Biti, who has been a vocal critic of the Bill. On several previous occasions, police vehicles have been noted to be conspicuously stationed outside his law firm, seemingly without any preceding trouble or invitation.

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