By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe has directed all 92 local authorities across Zimbabwe to remain fully operational on Friday, 31 July 2026, in a move that effectively places municipal services on the front line of the government’s response to planned nationwide demonstrations.
The directive, issued in a ministerial statement, instructs all mayors, chairpersons, councillors, town clerks and municipal employees to ensure “business as usual” in every urban and rural local authority throughout the country, as opposition groups and civil society organisations push for a national shutdown in protest against the recent enactment of Constitutional Amendment Act No. 3.
“The Ministry unequivocally states that Local Authorities, being an integral part of Government, must not participate in, facilitate or support any proposed shutdowns, demonstrations or marches intended to disrupt normal socio-economic activities or the delivery of public services,” the statement read.
Heightened Security
The directive comes as the Zimbabwe Republic Police announced it has deployed officers across the country to maintain law and order ahead of the planned protests.
Provincial ministers, flanked by senior military, police and prison officials, have held coordinated press conferences urging residents to ignore calls for demonstrations.
“Deployments have been made to all parts of the country for effective maintenance of law and order. Zimbabweans must feel free to engage in normal day-to-day activities without hindrance,” national police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi said.
Home Affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe dismissed the planned protests as unrealistic, saying the country is governed by the rule of law.
“This is not a banana republic. People spoke, people were happy, things were done constitutionally,” he said in an interview with Zimpapers
The planned demonstrations have been organised by activists and opposition groups opposing the recently enacted Constitutional Amendment Act No. 3, which extends the terms of the President and Parliament from five to seven years and postpones general elections from 2028 to 2030.
The legislation also changes the method of electing the President from a direct popular vote to election by Parliament, among other constitutional reforms.
The Zimbabwe African People’s Union has formally notified police of its intention to hold what it described as a peaceful gathering, while National Constitutional Assembly president Professor Lovemore Madhuku endorsed the planned demonstrations, saying “July 31, 2026, is the first of many days ahead, when the people will say, peacefully: No to 2030/CAB3/CAA3”.
A coalition of political parties and civic organisations operating under Sungano yeVanhu-Ubumbano loMphakathi has publicly endorsed a citizen-led nationwide stay-away while maintaining it is not the organiser of the action.
Garwe’s directive to local authorities emphasised the importance of uninterrupted public services, including water supply, refuse collection, public health, housing administration, road maintenance and sanitation.
“The uninterrupted provision of these services is fundamental to the socio-economic well-being of our communities,” the statement said.
The Ministry directed all local authority officials and employees to remain at their duty stations and continue serving the public in accordance with their legal and professional obligations.
It further called upon local authorities to work closely with law enforcement agencies and other Government institutions to maintain peace, law and order.
Transport Sector Pledges Support
Bulawayo’s two largest public transport operators, Tshova Mubaiwa Transport Corporation and the Bulawayo United Public Transport Association (BUPTA), which together operate about 1,600 commuter omnibuses carrying an estimated 100,000 passengers daily, have pledged uninterrupted services on Friday.
“We are a cooperative organisation and we are not taking part in that. We want to assure our loyal customers that we will be there to provide transport services as usual,” said Tshova Mubaiwa spokesperson Ndabazabo Mabunda.
BUPTA board chairperson Morgan Msipha said stability in the transport sector under the Second Republic meant operators could plan and sustain their operations without disruption.
The government’s response to the planned protests comes against a backdrop of heightened restrictions on civic space.
According to Human Rights Watch’s World Report 2026, Zimbabwean authorities continued to intimidate, harass, and arbitrarily arrest journalists, political opposition members, and civil society activists in 2025.
The enactment of the Private Voluntary Organizations Amendment Act in April 2025 sharply curtailed freedom of association and expression, empowering authorities to deregister and seize the assets of non-governmental groups deemed to be acting in a “politically partisan manner”.
Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference has warned that the constitutional amendments could undermine democratic governance, urging national dialogue, respect for constitutionalism and the peaceful resolution of political differences .
The Constitutional Amendment Act is currently being challenged before the Constitutional Court by opposition politicians and constitutional activists seeking to have the legislation declared invalid
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