Event Summary
On 10 April 2026, Dr. M. Rushwaya, Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, announced through a press statement that, in terms of Section 202(1)(b) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, His Excellency the President, Cde. Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, had re-assigned Ms. Fungayi Jessie Majome from her position as Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC), an independent constitutional commission, to the post of Commissioner in the Public Service Commission (PSC).
This development followed shortly after Ms. Majome, as ZHRC Chairperson, had publicly condemned the public hearings on the Constitutional Amendment Number 3 Bill (CAB3). On 7 April 2026, during a press conference, she described the CAB3 hearings conducted by the Parliament of Zimbabwe from 30 March to 4 April 2026 as exclusionary and a serious violation of human rights. Ms. Majome concluded that the hearings, as conducted, violated multiple rights, including though not limited to freedom of expression, freedom of conscience, human dignity, personal security, and equality and non-discrimination. She also emphasized that the constitutional amendment process should align with Zimbabwe’s obligations under international and regional human rights law.
One can therefore note that, the timing of the President’s re-assignment announcement on 10 April 2026 closely followed Ms. Majome’s public condemnation of the CAB3 hearings on 7 April 2026, and suggest a link between her tenure as ZHRC Chairperson and her stated stance regarding alleged human rights violations during the CAB3 public participation process. According to legal experts, the removal of the ZHRC chairperson was also unconstitutional as it did not follow due process.