South African President Cyril Ramaphosa may soon discover that in politics, the cover-up often causes more damage than the original controversy itself. What initially appeared to be a routine attempt by the South African presidency to distance Ramaphosa from controversial Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo is now threatening to evolve into a wider political credibility problem with regional implications.

The Law Society of Zimbabwe (LSZ) has warned Parliament that several key provisions contained in Constitutional Amendment (No. 3) Bill (CAB3) are unconstitutional and could violate both Zimbabwean and international law if passed without a national referendum. In formal submissions dated May 15, 2026, the LSZ said clauses seeking to extend presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years cannot legally apply to sitting officeholders without approval through a publ