General Muchena Fires Warning Shots

By A Correspondent — A group of retired military generals and former senior civil servants has intensified its opposition to Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 (CAB3), accusing President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his allies of pursuing constitutional changes that they say undermine Zimbabwe’s democratic framework and serve narrow political interests.

In a statement issued on Monday and signed by retired Air Marshal Henry Muchena on behalf of the group, the former officials rejected the parliamentary consultation process on CAB3, describing it as “choreographed” and alleging that some citizens were pressured into signing letters supporting the proposed amendments.

The group said it had formally petitioned Parliament in March and called for a national referendum on the bill, arguing that major constitutional changes should be decided directly by citizens. According to the statement, their request has not received a response.Zimbabwe travel guide

The retired officials also disclosed that they held two meetings with President Mnangagwa on 18 and 19 May to discuss their concerns. However, they said the engagements failed to produce any meaningful progress.

According to the statement, President Mnangagwa responded to their concerns by saying, “whoever wins, wins,” a remark the group interpreted as dismissive of objections being raised by citizens and members of the ruling party.

The former officials further alleged that Mnangagwa is both the principal architect and intended beneficiary of CAB3. They also claimed that businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei is financially supporting efforts to secure parliamentary approval of the proposed amendments.

They welcomed legal challenges currently before the Constitutional Court and expressed confidence that the judiciary would discharge its constitutional responsibilities independently.

The group also voiced concern over what it described as the growing influence of money in the legislative process, alleging that legislators were being pressured to support the bill despite resistance from sections of the public.

Among the most serious allegations contained in the statement were claims that provincial ZANU-PF chairpersons received vehicles and payments of US$100,000 each in exchange for supporting CAB3. The group further alleged that a US$31 million fund had been established to secure parliamentary backing for the bill, with individual legislators allegedly earmarked to receive US$50,000 each.

No evidence was publicly presented to substantiate the allegations, and neither the Office of the President, the Ministry of Justice nor Tagwirei had responded to the claims at the time of publication.


The intervention by retired military officers is significant given the historic role played by Zimbabwe’s security establishment in the country’s political affairs.

Since the military-assisted removal of former President Robert Mugabe in November 2017, Zimbabwe has experienced recurring tensions within ZANU-PF and the broader state security architecture. The coup that brought Mnangagwa to power was publicly justified as an operation targeting “criminals around the President,” but it ultimately reshaped the balance of power within both the ruling party and the security sector.

In the years that followed, several senior military and intelligence figures who played key roles in the transition were appointed to influential positions in government, state institutions and diplomatic missions. However, analysts have noted growing factional tensions within the ruling party as competing political and business interests position themselves ahead of future succession contests.

The emergence of the “2030 agenda,” which seeks to extend Mnangagwa’s political influence beyond his current constitutional term limits, has deepened divisions within sections of ZANU-PF, the war veterans’ movement and former members of the security establishment. Critics argue that efforts to alter constitutional provisions could destabilise the political settlement that emerged after 2017.

The public intervention by retired generals has fuelled speculation about growing unease within sections of the liberation war generation and former security elites regarding the direction of the ruling party and the state. Some political observers view the criticism as evidence of widening cracks within the coalition that supported Mnangagwa’s rise to power.

However, while tensions within ZANU-PF and among former security figures are increasingly visible, there is currently no public evidence suggesting that another military intervention is imminent. Analysts caution that Zimbabwe’s security sector remains under the command of serving officers who have repeatedly pledged loyalty to the Constitution and civilian authority.

Nevertheless, the increasingly public disagreements between influential former military figures, war veterans, ruling party officials and politically connected business elites point to a growing struggle over the future direction of both ZANU-PF and the Zimbabwean state.

The retired generals concluded by urging Members of Parliament to reject CAB3 and called on Zimbabweans across political and ideological divides to defend what they described as the country’s constitutional order.

“The Constitution belongs to the people of Zimbabwe and not to any individual, political party or temporary office holder,” the statement said.