Constitution Outreach: News Round-Up, 7 July – 12 July
These are media extracts featuring news on the constitutional outreach process between 7 July and 12 July. To review previous news items, or follow updates daily, please visit the Constitution Resource page on the Sokwanele website. Please note that links to sources and full articles are also available on the resource page. These extracts are being emailed to our subscribers – click here to sign up for our newsletter.
7 July 2010 - cont
COPAC endorses ZZZICOMP, dismisses state reports
Contrary to what has been reported in the media, COPAC remains fully committed to the engagement of civil society in this programme. To demonstrate its commitment to dialogue, COPAC held a well attended meeting with leaders of Civil Society in the Senate Chambers at Parliament building [...] The meeting was very fruitful and addressed the concerns of both Civil Society and COPAC regarding the carrying out of the monitoring exercise. In summary, Civil Society was worried about the negative statements which were appearing in the press regarding the work in this vital process. They were also worried about the safety of their personnel as well as their ability to discharge their duties without fear of harassment. On the other hand COPAC demanded that mechanisms be put in place to enable both parties to identify genuine monitors from bogus ones. It was stated that certain elements bent on destabilizing the process were masquerading as monitors from civil society. These people had apparently produced fake talking points. After frank discussions, it was agreed that:- * Civil Society was free to deploy observers to observe the Constitution making process. All personnel on the ground would co-operate as much as possible with these observers. The total number deployed would be made known to COPSAC; All observers would be issued with accreditation cards to identify them as such in the event of enquiry; *A comprehensive code of conduct to govern the conduct and ethics of the observers was drafted and agreed upon. Every monitor would sign this code of conduct; *Civil society is free to approach COPAC leadership on areas of concern [Via COPAC Press Release].
No accountability, no reconciliation: Sibanda
Zimbabwe cannot achieve lasting peace or true reconciliation until perpetrators of human rights abuse are held to account and the structures of political violence dismantled, a top politician has said. MDC-M deputy president Gibson Sibanda predicted more political violence in the next elections, saying the new constitution the country is drafting cannot on its own end violence while the structural, political and social factors that have fuelled the cycles of politically-motivated hostilities of the past remain unresolved. “The failure to hold accountable those responsible for each episode of political violence has subsequently become part of the national fabric ensuring the continued use of violence,” said Sibanda, who is a member of the government’s Organ on National Healing and Reconciliation [Via The Zimbabwean].
8 July 2010
MDC activist arrested for mobilising supporters
An MDC activist, Chef Mohammed was arrested on Wednesday in Mt Darwin, Mashonaland Central province for mobilising MDC supporters to attend the Constitution-making outreach meetings in the area. The arrest follows that of Brian Pfungweni, the MDC Mashonaland Central provincial Youth Assembly chairperson who was arrested on Monday on the same charges. The two are now facing charges of undermining the President and are expected to appear in court today. Cases of people being intimidated ahead of the Constitution-making public meetings are on the rise in most parts of the country [Via MDC Today - 8 July 2010].
Khupe backs devolution calls
Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khupe has backed calls for the devolution of power, seeking to influence a process underway to draw up a new constitution. On a visit to the United Kingdom this week, Khupe said the debate on devolution was often clouded by “unfounded fears” that its proponents were seeking to divide the country on tribal lines. “When we talk about devolution, people must not think that we are talking about promoting tribalism,” Khupe told a public meeting called by the Zimbabwe Diaspora Focus Group in London on Tuesday. Khupe said devolution of power would ensure local problems are tackled with local solutions instead of central government prescribing uniform policies for different communities [Via New Zimbabwe].
Politburo dispels violence claims
Zimbabweans should disregard malicious and false allegations of violence being made against Zanu-PF by foreign-funded bodies and take part in the constitution-making process. In a statement yesterday, Zanu-PF national spokesperson Cde Rugare Gumbo dismissed allegations of violence by foreign-sponsored non-governmental organisations. Cde Gumbo said: “These foreign-sponsored organisations include the Zimbabwe Peace Project, the Zimbabwe Election Support Network and Cadec, who have been running their own parallel (constitutional) outreach programmes and claiming to be more representative of the people of Zimbabwe than the body officially mandated to conduct outreach programmes. These foreign-sponsored bodies, indeed, act as if they are more representative and more legitimate than our elected Parliamentarians, our chiefs and their representatives.” He identified the Zimbabwe Solidarity Fund, which is run by the American Democratic Party’s National Democratic Institute as one such foreign sponsor of the subversive agenda [Via The Herald - state-controlled media].
Diasporans shut out of constitution-making
Copac does not have any systems in place to facilitate participation by the Zimbabwean community in the Diaspora in the ongoing constitution-making process NewsDay can reveal. This has raised fears that millions of Zimbabweans in the Diaspora would not have a chance to have their views included in the new constitution. Although Copac co-chairperson Munyaradzi Mangwana said his organisation was interested in getting views from Zimbabweans in the Diaspora, Copac has no website or any other means of communicating with people in the Diaspora. More than three million Zimbabweans live in the Diaspora, in South Africa, the United Kingdom, the US, Australia and other countries around the world. Mangwana denied reports that Copac had contracted people in the United Kingdom to gather views from there. Last month a group called Zimbabwe Constitution Consultation Coalition claimed to have been given training manuals and the mandate to gather information from Zimbabweans in the United Kingdom by Copac, using the same forms and talking points being used in Zimbabwe [Via NewsDay].
Attempted abduction in Musikavanhu district, Manicaland
The outreach process continues to generate political tension. The Movement for Democratic Change formation of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said suspected members of the ZANU-PF party of President Robert Mugabe tried to abduct Matthew Gonera, the party’s organizing district secretary for Musikavanhu district in Manicaland province, a traditional political hot spot. Party sources said Gonera escaped his would-be abductors with the help of villager. They said a group of men in a Nissan truck tried to grab him at the Rimai Business Center in Ward 25 of the district a few days ago. Deputy Organizing Secretary Morgan Komichi of the Tsvangirai MDC told VOA Studio 7 reporter Patience Rusere that harassment of district organizing secretaries has picked up in Manicaland in particular. He said the district secretaries are responsible for mobilizing members to take part in the constitutional outreach process. Komichi said even official outreach officers and rapporteurs are being intimidated [Via VOA News].
Minister calls for free education for all children
The Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture David Coltart has called for compulsory and free primary education in the new constitution. Minister Coltart told Chronicle in a telephone interview that education was a basic human right and children needed to be afforded that right through the constitution. “Free education to all children should be made a constitutional right in line with the International Convention of the Children’s Rights,” he said. Minister Coltart said most of the education issues were not included in the constitution, but were contained in the International Convention of Children’s Rights, which Zimbabwe was signatory to. “It states that every child should get compulsory and free education and as a ministry, we feel this should be enshrined in the constitution that we are working on,” he said. Minister Coltart said the Government should make a commitment to this guarantee though its reality was threatened by lack of resources. “Constitutional rights apply equally to children and adults and we are saying children should also be granted freedom of expression, access to information and other rights just like adults,” said Minister Coltart [Via The Chronicle - state-controlled media].
ZCTU slam outreach as money making venture
The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has dismissed ongoing public hearings for a new constitution as a mockery to the people of Zimbabwe, because it had “become even clearer that political parties are in charge of the process.” In a statement signed by Secretary General Wellington Chibebe, the union said the process, dogged by chaos, was meant to be a “national affair” but was now being manipulated by the three political parties in the coalition government. “Ordinary Zimbabwean voices have been stifled as the political party positions take centre stage. Party supporters are being spoon fed what to say at the meetings while violence has also marred the process. Not much publicity has taken place hence very few people will be able to participate,” the ZCTU statement read. The union slammed what it called “greed” taking centre stage in the process. The statement said: “The process is more of a money-making venture than serious business. At first it was demands by MPs for allowances of US$100 a day, when the demands hit a brick wall the days for the outreach were subtly increased to 88 from 65. We pity the donor community that has seemingly thrown their money down the drain.” [Via SW Radio Africa].
Outreach program spreads far and wide but intimidation continues
Constitutional outreach teams have now been deployed to every corner of the country, three weeks after the program was launched in Harare. SW Radio Africa is reliably informed that the Constitutional Parliamentary Committee (COPAC) that is leading the reforms has this week received less complaints from its teams conducting public consultative meetings. The news has given COPAC something to smile about after the exercise was initially marred by teething problems, which included lack of hotel accommodation for the teams as well as shortages of food and fuel. But the biggest challenge still facing COPAC is the ongoing harassment and intimidation of participants by ZANU PF elements. Independent observer Sam Mhako told us most participants in rural areas are still reading from scripts, allegedly prepared by Robert Mugabe’s ZANU PF party [...] ZANU PF’s politburo on Wednesday denied that its supporters were responsible for the violence and intimidation that has rocked the program. But reports coming in from different districts suggest otherwise [Via SW Radio Africa].
Villagers want former presidents liable for crimes
[At] Molife Primary School, 40km north of Harare, villagers appeared enthusiastic and keen on accountable leadership and a smooth transfer of power — issues that have plagued Zimbabwe for years. Though sometimes offering views unrelated to constitution-making, the villagers were still able to say how fed up they were with the current system that entrenches power in a select few and allows the breeding of dictatorship through unlimited presidential terms. Most participants, however, did not give their names, but still offered what seemed like uncensored opinions. “Power should be frequently rotated. A president must stay in power for only five years to give other people a chance,” said a participant [...] Most people at the meeting called for limited two-five-year terms for the president and proposals for any outgoing president to be prosecuted for crimes committed while still in office received widespread support. “This (planned) new constitution should allow for the outgoing president to be investigated and prosecuted for any crimes that he would have been accused of committing,” said one participant to loud cheers from fellow villagers, most of them middle-aged males [Via The Zimbabwe Independent].
Muckraker: Anti-NGO comments expose Copac naivety
Under the heading “Bogus Copac monitors on the loose”, the Sunday Mail managed to unearth a plot by NGOs “aimed at advancing external interests”. The NGOs are apparently “running their own parallel outreach programme”, as if that was a major offence! [...] They have deployed teams, we are told, “to influence the public to agitate for the inclusion in the new constitution of provisions that would advance foreign interests”. Needless to say we are not told what these “foreign interests” are [...] In fact NGOs are perfectly entitled to elicit the views of the public. And Mangwana’s claim that they are “attempting to subvert a government-sanctioned programme”, as if it belonged to government and nobody else, is likely to discredit Copac if that means people can be arrested for exercising their democratic rights. What makes these threats more sinister are the naïve remarks by co-chair Douglas Mwonzora that “some NGOs are disseminating falsehoods on the outreach programme”. “Only Zanu PF, the MDC-T and MDC had the prerogative to monitor and comment on the outreach programme,” Mwonzora said. Really? Is that the case? People are surely entitled to challenge and oppose the Copac project if they wish? That is their right. The suggestion that only the three parties can participate is outrageous. Many people are understandably sceptical about a process that appears to be owned by the three parties [Via The Zimbabwe Independent].
ZZZICOMP monitors arrested in Midlands Province
On the evening of Thursday 8 July 2010, Karikoga Ernest Mudzingwa, Farai Agnes Tete, Rev. Clever Valemi, Isaac Makoni, and Torevei Munhangu were arrested and detained at Charandura Police Station near St Joseph’s Mission, Hama area in Chirumanzu, Midlands province. The five are Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, Zimbabwe Election Support Network and Zimbabwe Peace Project Independent Constitutional Monitoring Project (ZZZICOMP) monitors who had been deployed to monitor the outreach meetings in Chirumhanzu area. After their arrest they were detained for an hour, whilst the police searched them, took their cellular phones, noted down contacts, and read messages received and sent. They also searched their wallets and took their national identity cards. This was despite the fact that they had not preferred any charges against them. A memory stick belonging to Karikoga, who is also the ZZZICOMP Provincial Coordinator for Midlands, was confiscated by the police and has not been returned. After an hour the 5 monitors were released on condition that they report to Gweru Rural police station at 08:00hrs on Friday 9 July 2010. The five attended at Gweru Central police station in the company of ZLHR member lawyer, Brian Dube from Gundu Mawarire legal practitioners, where they were attended to by police officers from the Police Internal Security Intelligence (PISI) section. The unnamed police proceeded to profile the five and took their physical addresses. After negotiations the police agreed to release the five into the custody of their lawyer without any charges being levelled against them. They were advised that the police will follow up on the issue of accreditation with the Constitution Parliamentary Select Committee (COPAC) and will summon them should the need arise [Via ZZZICOMP Press Release].
Zanu PF youths destabilising outreach programme
At Juru business centre in Goromonzi North, hundreds of Zanu PF youths on Wednesday sealed off a Copac venue in the area and screened people who were coming to the meeting. As a result scores of people were turned away. The Zanu PF youths were bussed to the venue by the MP for the area, Paddy Zhanda. In Mutasa South, Manicaland province, two well-known MDC activists, Tichaona Mlambo and Willard Mupengo of Ward 22 were denied entry into a Copac outreach meeting by war veterans who were in charge of accreditation. In Mudzi South, Mashonaland East province, Alfred Mahaso, the MDC Mudzi South Youth Assembly district chairperson was on Sunday threatened by Zanu PF youths led by David Kapanga for mobilising people in the area to attend the Constitution-making public meetings. They also accused him of de-campaigning, the unpopular Kariba draft. Mahaso made a report to Makosa police station but the police details said there was not much they could do in such cases [Via MDC Today - Press Release].
10 July 2010
Proposals to avert future debt crisis
The current constitutional reforms present an opportunity for the country to avert a future debt crisis by reforming Zimbabwe’s loan contraction and debt management framework, a pressure group has said. The Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (Zimcodd) said the constitution must stipulate that Parliament approves all borrowings and grants all guarantees [...] It said that there “should be a provision that requires the government to consult civil society groups and project beneficiaries before borrowing from external sources to ensure that the development priorities outlined in loan agreements reflect the aspirations of the people. The coalition expects the constitution to foster more transparency in the loan contraction process by creditors and borrowers, who currently negotiate without the direct involvement of citizens’ elected officials in parliament,” Zimcodd said. t said citizens were liable for all debts through paying taxes. Zimcodd called for constitutional guarantees that would ensure the terms and conditions of loans must be published in the government gazette and national newspapers before contracts were signed.“The coalition now expects the constitution to include this category of debts under strengthened provisions for enhanced supervision and scrutiny by parliament,” it said. “Periodic reports to parliament on loans and debts must be constitutionally binding on such entities and their respective ministries. This will help to reduce the levels of public liability.” [Via The Standard].
Why proportional representation is the way to go
This opinion piece in The Standard makes a case for proportional representation: As the writing of the constitution gathers momentum, the people have begun to speak their views. People mostly in the southern region of the country that is in Matabeleland and the Midlands seem to be expressing their desire for a devolved state. Their desire for the three tiers of government seems to be proved beyond any reasonable doubt if the reports we have so far are to be sustained and supported in the long run. However, I feel the people are missing a certain point to bring their dream to reality by forgetting proportional representation as an electoral system [...] Proportional representation is the voting system whereby successful parties gain seats in a country’s legislature in direct proportion to the number of votes they accrue at an election. Instead of electing one member of the legislature in each small district, proportional representation uses much larger districts that elect several members at once, say five or ten. The candidate who wins the seats in these multi-member districts is determined by the proportion of votes a party receives [Via The Standard].
Zanu PF officials fingered in Copac car hire scam
A deputy minister and some Zanu PF politburo members who fraudulently hired out government and party cars for the constitution outreach were blocked from making a quick buck when CMED, a company set up by government to provide transport hire services and procure vehicles on its behalf, withdrew their vehicles, The Standard has learnt. Impeccable Zanu PF sources said the deputy minister (name supplied) had been holding on to the government vehicle illegally after failing to buy it at book value. The Zanu PF minister reportedly hired out the vehicle for the ongoing outreach programme by the Constitution Parliamentary Committee (Copac) after the first vehicle he had hired out to CMED, a personal Mistubishi L 200, developed an engine problem. His case has been described as a tip of the iceberg. Two unnamed Zanu PF politburo members were also reportedly forced to withdraw party vehicles from Matabeleland North province, which they had hired out for the outreach without permission [Via The Standard].
MDC-T wants security forces barred from outreach meetings
Security forces must stop attending constitutional outreach meetings in rural areas as their presence inhibits people from freely expressing their views, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) has said. It said the army should be completely withdrawn from the rural areas. The presence of soldiers at the meetings is a torturous reminder of the June 2008 violent elections in which scores of people were murdered while others were persecuted by suspected security agents in an effort to force them to vote for Zanu PF. The call for the withdrawal of soldiers comes at a time when reports of widespread intimidation and harassment by soldiers and members of the dreaded Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) are on the increase during this constitution outreach programme. MDC-T said soldiers were threatening villagers with disappearance or death if they failed to abide by a directive to endorse the Kariba draft, a document hastily prepared by the MDC and Zanu PF in houseboat in the resort town after which it is named [Via The Standard].
No compromise on constitution: Mugabe
President Robert Mugabe says foreign interference in the constitutional reform exercise will not be tolerated and urged Zanu PF members to ensure the draft charter consolidates the party’s “nationalist revolutionary” ideals. Addressing the party’s central committee meeting in Harare Mugabe said donors funding the constitutional reform programme should not be allowed to influence the content of the charter. “Foreigners must back off. We had nothing to do with their constitutions, in fact we were not even there as a free people when they wrote them. The draft constitution must come from the hands of Zimbabweans, not from those countries who think the fact of making financial inputs to our processes entitles them to interfere with the outcome. We cannot swop our birthright for the donor’s dollar,” he said. Meanwhile Mugabe also urged Zanu PF to ensure the “gains of the liberation struggle” are not compromised during the exercise. “We have positions to defend, principles and policies and on these there shall be no compromise. We must ensure the product carries and consolidates our ideals as a nationalist revolutionary party. We fought for the Independence and untrammeled sovereignty of this nation. That coveted status must remain solid, secure and unshaken for all time,” he declared [Via NewZimbabwe].
Let us come up with a worthwhile constitution
The Chronicle’s editorial offers this: “… there seems to be lack of knowledge from the general population on what constitutes a constitution or what they should tell the outreach teams as their input. We tend to get a feeling that most people are just shooting from the dark saying a mouthful of irrelevant things and at the end of the day, we ask a question of who will replace those irrelevant contributions with relevant and tangible ideas? We are left with no choice but to assume that the outreach teams will then have the task of replacing irrelevant ideas with relevant information. And that puts the whole exercise in danger, as the final product will not be people-driven [...] What Zimbabweans should be debating on now is how they want to be governed and that should form the cornerstone of the new constitution. By doing so, they guarantee their rights as human beings to various issues that make their lives comfortable [Via The Chronicle- state-controlled media]
11 July 2010
Copac comes to town
THE Constitution Select Committee (Copac) is this week expected to announce the dates for the rollout of the outreach phase of the constitution-making process in Harare and Bulawayo. Copac co-chair Mr Douglas Mwonzora said the Constitution Management Committee would meet tomorrow to deliberate on the proposed dates. He said his committee was working on modalities to ensure widespread participation by residents of the two cites. “The management committee will be meeting on Monday to finalise the outreach programme for Harare and Bulawayo,” he said. “The dates will be announced at a Press conference on Tuesday. We want to put all the necessary measures in place to ensure there is widespread participation.” The outreach programme began in different parts of the country last month. However, meetings in Harare and Bulawayo were pushed back following fears that most residents in the two cities would be engrossed in the Fifa World Cup in South Africa [Via The Sunday Mail - state-controlled media].
12 July 2010
‘Use constitution process to defend national sovereignty’
The constitution-making process has afforded Zimbabweans the perfect opportunity to reaffirm their defence of the nation’s sovereignty for the benefit of present and future generations, a top military commander has said. Air Force of Zimbabwe commander Air Marshal Perrance Shiri made the remarks at a passout parade of 401 recruits at the Field Air Force Base in Chegutu on Friday. “Whatever contributions you will make at this stage, it will have lasting influence on generations to come. Through your contributions you will either enslave generations to come or set them free forever; empower them or dispossess them; make them masters of their own destiny or slaves of other nations. You have the choice to make them united people or a disintegrated people; mould an identity for them or leave them to be at the mercy of the vagaries of international cultures and influence,” he said. Air Marshal Shiri said the constitution was the basis for political stability, economic growth and social progress [Via The Herald - state-controlled media].
MDC activists threatened with death in Hurungwe East
In Hurungwe East, Mashonaland West province, seven MDC activists have been threatened with death by Zanu PF supporters if they attend any Constitution outreach meetings taking place in the area. On Saturday, Zanu PF officials called for a meeting under the pretext of the Constitutional Parliamentary Committee (Copac), where they addressed people and openly threatened seven MDC supporters saying they would kill them if they speak during the outreach meetings. “They mentioned that MDC supporters were not allowed to attend these meetings and also that if they did, they were not expected to contribute anything otherwise they would ‘face the wrath’,” said MDC Hurungwe East vice chairperson, Erifas Chiparo. The seven are Chiparo, Ward 21 organising secretary, Patrick Murira, the district director of elections, Rodney Matsaure, the director of elections Women’s Assembly, Grace Mandipause, the vice organising secretary, Joe Mashiri and a youth activist Persly Zindonda [Via MDC Today - 12 July 2010].
Army major, and soldiers with AK 47 rifles, coordinating intimidation in Mwenezi, Masvingo Province
In Masvingo province, reports from Mwenezi say that a Zimbabwe National Army major, only identified as Moyo, self styled war veteran Dube, Zanu PF thugs Regedzai Clemence and one Muzororo, are allegedly threatening villagers around Neshuro growth point in Mwenezi East if they participate in the Constitution-making process. It is understood the Zanu PF thugs, working with State security agents, are working around the clock instilling fear into the villagers ahead of vists by the outreach teams. “People are being intimidated by Major Moyo and his group. They are based at Neshuro growth point and they usually address villagers on a daily basis. The level of intimidation has reached unprecedented levels. The people of Mwenezi are wary of the soldiers who are based at Neshuro growth point,” said Joshua Chuma, an MDC member in Mwenezi. At Jerera growth point in Zaka, uniformed soldiers wielding AK 47 assault rifles allegedly addressed villagers at the growth point last week and advised the villagers to abide by the Zanu PF position during the outreach meetings [Via MDC Today - 12 July 2010].
