Talk Constitution Zimbabwe

MAKONI South legislator Mr Pishai Muchauraya allegedly caused a storm during a constitution outreach meeting at Bende Primary School in Nyanga on Monday after officiating with bare feet written his party’s stance on citizenship, land and devolution of state power.

Mr Muchauraya’s alleged conduct irked some Zanu-PF sympathisers who accused him of trying to influence the contributions of the villagers to reflect MDC-T’s stance on the contentious points.

An alert woman who raised alarm exposed the tactic and it triggered pandemonium pitting supporters from the two rival parties.

Mr Muchauraya has since dismissed the accusations as nonsensical.

He said Zanu-PF was not comfortable to have him chair the meeting and instigated his ousting and replacement by Mr Gift Rusanga (MDC).

MDC-T legislator, Senator Patrick Chitaka (Mutasa-Nyanga) allegedly forced the stoppage of another meeting at Juliasdale, arguing that the information dissemination system had been manipulated in favour of Zanu-PF.

Sen Chitaka alleged that only Zanu-PF supporters had attended the meeting.

The unending disruption of meetings owing to the rivalry between the two major parties has added weight to the growing perception that the constitution-making process has become political parties driven.

Copac co-leaders, Senator Cephas Makuyana (MDC-T) and Sen Oriah Kabayanjiri (Zanu-PF) confirmed the disruptions, adding that the process was now behind schedule by three days following a string of challenges.

The co-leaders appealed to political parties to rein in members as the current acrimonious relations under, which the process was being undertaken had a bearing on quality and possibility of success.

“It is true we had such incidents. The first problem started when (Mr) Muchauraya, took off his shoes and socks and moved among the crowd, with bare feet that were inscribed with the MDC-T’s position on land, citizenship and devolution.

“The crowd became emotional and tempers flared — accusing him of trying to sway the process in favour of his party. What he did was condemnable, he was contemptuous of the villagers’ ability to think critically,” said Sen Kabayanjiri.

On the cancellation of the Juliasdale meeting, Sen Kabayanjiri said: “Sen Chitaka told me that the meeting could not proceed as only Zanu-PF supporters had turned up. He said their supporters were not told about the team’s visit. He insisted he knew the attendees as Zanu-PF supporters by virtue of being the area’s representative in the Senate,”

Another legislator who was part of Team Four, which was at Bende Primary School, Mr Eris Navaya, said proceedings were delayed for almost two hours, following which Mr Muchauraya was replaced by Mr Rusanga.

“We were at Thematic Point 10 when he took off his shoes and socks.

“His feet were inscribed ‘dual citizenship’; ‘title deeds’ and ‘devolved state’, which turned out to be his party’s position on the talking points.

“We had to cool off the tempers by removing him from the meeting. Mr Rusanga, of MDC proceeded to chair the meeting,” said Mr Navaya.

However, Mr Muchauraya said: “That is nonsense. I am an MP for the MDC-T and why will I write it on my feet. Can you see how low Zanu-PF stooped so low to cook up all sorts of allegations against us? They thought they can fix me that way, but it will not work.

“This is the same (Sen) Kabayanjiri who made false public indecency allegations against Kudakwashe Munengiwa.

“The outreach must be a vehicle for national dialogue, consolidation of peace, articulation of competing perspectives and claims, not a platform for Zanu-PF to abuse innocent people,” said Mr Muchauraya.

Sen Makuyana (MDC-T) said he was away when the alleged incident occurred.

“I have not received that report, but I have since been briefed that the Juliasdale meeting was aborted after the communication system was manipulated in favour of Zanu-PF. Only Zanu-PF supporters had attended the meeting and other parties felt it was unfair to continue with the meeting in the absence of their supporters,” said Sen Makuyana.

When asked how the team was able to identify those who had turned up to be Zanu-PF, he said: “Sen Chitaka, who was co-leading the team as I was away, is the Mutasa-Nyanga Senator, and knows them well.”

MDC-T chairman Senator Chitaka professed ignorance over the developments.

“I talk to the Studio 7 only, not The Manica Post,” he said, before switching off his mobile phone.

SOURCE:   THE HERALD 3 SEPTEMBER 2010

Hon Eric Matinenga Minister of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs

The outreach programmes for the new constitution will go ahead as

PAUL MANGWANA . . . co-chairperson of the parliamentary committee leading the constitutional reform process

scheduled despite refusal by donors to fund an extension.

Government still has US$3,5 million in its coffers to fund the process.

On Monday, the United Nations Development Programme refused to fund an US$8 million supplementary budget proposed by the Constitution Parliamentary Select Committee to cater for a 25-day extension to the outreach exercise.

However, Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Eric Matinenga yesterday said “the process will continue”.

“We will utilise the money that was carried over from the delays in commencing the first phase of the outreach.

“In the meantime, we will also be looking for alternative means of funding.”

The outreach was initially scheduled to start in September 2009 but only began in June this year.

Copac co-chairperson Cde Paul Mangwana (Zanu-PF) on Monday said their meeting with UNDP officials had failed to achieve the desired results. “While they acknowledged that the areas that needed funding were critical, they, however, said they could not fund the supplementary budget.

“Because of that, we obviously have to look elsewhere for funding,” he said.

Cde Mangwana said the development was disappointing and vindicated their position that the whole constitution-making process should have been funded from local resources.

“Some of the donors are not happy with the submissions by the people so far as they have been unequivocal in that the land reform is irreversible and that resources should be in the hands of the majority.

“They expected people to protest in their submissions,” he said.

Cde Mangwana said they had covered 70 percent of the country and did not expect major interruptions in the remaining areas.

Major urban areas, including Harare and Bulawayo, are yet to be covered.

The supplementary budget was to be used to cover allowances for outreach teams, drivers, technicians and fuel among other needs.

Resource shortages have dogged the constitution-making process and this has resulted in intermittent stoppages after outreach teams downed tools.

The UNDP has been the major financier but its contract with Copac expired on August 24.

Cde Mangwana said apart from Government, Copac would also approach China and/or Russia for additional funding.

SOURCE:   THE HERALD 1 SEPTEMBER 2010.

Two meetings by Copac outreach teams in Masvingo Urban were on Saturday abandoned after officials almost exchanged blows following a dispute over consultation procedures.

The outreach meeting at Mucheke Hall in Ward 2 was marred by pandemonium after two rapporteurs allegedly manhandled each other in front of the participants. The participants in turn threatened to beat up the rapporteurs for wasting their time. Copac official Mr Rabson Mashiri — who is MDC Masvingo provincial chair — allegedly courted participants’ wrath after he reportedly ordered some of them to stop making contributions on the grounds that they were in breach of procedures.

At Runyararo Primary school in Ward 4, the meeting was called off after participants threatened to beat up a Copac officials whom they accused of disrupting the free flow of contributions. Outreach team member Mr Wilstaf Sitemere (MDC-T Masvingo provincial chair) confirmed both incidents and said investigation had started.

Copac Masvingo provincial co-supervisor, Chief Fortune Charumbira also confirmed the abandonment of the meetings, adding: “We will meet tomorrow (today) to complete the investigations.

“At the moment I can only say as Copac we had no option except to call off the meetings after the disturbances.”

He said the Ward 2 meeting might be reconvened since the abandonment was caused by Copac officials while in ward 4 chances where that the meeting will never be held since participants were partly culpable for its premature end.

Chief Charumbira said it was disturbing that some Copac officials with political agendas were abusing the outreach. This is not the first time that Copac outreach meetings have been beset by problems in Masvingo. Presently, the Copac provincial leadership is probing Masvingo West legislator Mr Tachiona Chiminya (MDC-T) for allegedly bussing in his supporters to outreach meetings in attempt to tilt the proceedings in his party’s favour last week

SOURCE:  THE HERALD 31 AUGUST 2010

Nelson Chamisa, Minister of Information, Communications & Technology

MDC-T has threatened a “No Vote” campaign if the proposed constitution does not reflect the will of the people.

The party also blamed Sadc for not being tough on Zanu PF in addressing outstanding issues in the implementation of the Global Political Agreement.

Party spokesperson Nelson Chamisa told hundreds of party supporters at a rally in Chitungwiza Sunday that MDC-T was not happy with the ongoing process, citing intimidation and violence against villagers in most parts of the country.

Chamisa said the Constitution Select Committee (Copac)’s handling of information dissemination and the state media’s treatment of the constitution-making process were a cause for concern.

“We are not happy with Copac’s information dissemination and the public media’s blackout of this important process,” Chamisa said.

“Elections have to come after the necessary reform processes that include the drafting of a new constitution. We are expecting a constitution, but we are not happy with the way things are being handled. If the new constitution does not reflect the will of the people, we will reject it. We will only accept constitutions that reflect the will of the people.”

“There are things we agreed on with Zanu PF that are not being implemented. There are issues we are not in agreement with at all that include Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono and Attorney General Johannes Tomana. We are not against them as individuals but how they were imposed on those positions without consultations in the inclusive government,” Chamisa said.

“There is also the issue of the swearing-in of Roy Bennett as Deputy Minister of Agriculture and the continuation of unilateral decisions by Zanu PF in appointing public figures.”

Chamisa also took a swipe at the state media for failing to carry out its mandate of informing Zimbabweans on the constitution-making process.

“There are no debates on national television. We should be having such, after the main news. We should get into debates on the constitution and that is what we want. The youths should say what they want in the constitution, women and men should do the same, but there is no platform for that to happen.

What we only see are partisan jingles,” he said referring to the Zanu PF jingles being flighted on television.

He said people should freely express themselves during the process and should not be coached on what to say.

Chamisa said the sole broadcaster (ZBC) was still behaving like a Zanu PF mouthpiece instead of being a voice of the people.

“They are playing Zanu PF jingles every day. We have our own jingles and if they want to be fair they should play our jingles as well.”

The issue of provincial governors, he said, remained of concern in the inclusive government as Zanu PF was shifting goalposts on the agreed position.

“Their governors’ term expired on July 31 and we waited for that. Now they say governors will be sworn in simultaneously with the removal of sanctions. We were not there when they were doing things that made them get those sanctions,” he said. “We are trying to help them cleanse themselves,” he said.

He also told the gathering of the new party card MDC-T president Morgan Tsvangirai launched last week urging party members to secure the card as MDC-T was in a massive restructuring exercise.

MDC-T has joined other groups that have threatened a “No Vote” campaign. The National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) and the Zimbabwe National Students Union have already concluded that the process was flawed and have threatened to lead a “No Vote” campaign against an outcome that does not reflect people’s wishes.

NCA chairman Lovemore Madhuku recently urged youths to reject the flawed process as it would not reflect the will of the people.

“When you see the Copac people at your colleges, kick them out because it’s your future at stake and you have to defend it,” he said. Cases of intimidation were rife in rural areas with war veterans threatening villagers who want to freely express themselves.

This is the second major attempt by Zimbabwe to come up with a new constitution after the “No Vote” of 2000 stopped the process.

The current constitution, which came into being in 1980, has been amended 19 times.

SOURCE:    NEWSDAY 29 AUGUST 2010.