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COPAC must keep promise
Zimbabwe Unemployed People's Association (ZUPA)
April 06, 2012

Zimbabwe is writing a new constitution for the country in a process that was initially, for all intent and purpose supposed to be people driven. The process has involved an expensive outreach process where ordinary Zimbabweans throughout the country and in the Diaspora were invited and asked to put forward what they wanted to see in each section of the constitution.

The promise by the Constitution Parliamentary Select Committee and the parties in the Inclusive Government was that only the data collected during the outreach process would form the content of the new constitution without which Zimbabwe may remain in turmoil. For the constitution draft to be accepted by the majority of ordinary Zimbabweans, it must be perceived to contain nothing but their views.

The leaked drafts, public briefings by co-chairs of the Constitution Parliamentary Select Committee (COPAC) and the political leaders of the 3 parties in the Unity Government appear to point to a negotiated constitution, disregarding the views of the ordinary people. This deviation from what was promised in the first place may invite the unwanted danger that the ordinary people may reject the new constitution at the planned referendum.

ZUPA, representing the interests of millions of unemployed Zimbabweans up and down the country has vested interests in making sure that Zimbabwe has a new and people driven constitution. We are therefore urging the parties in Government and COPAC to stay true to their promise that the constitution will contain nothing but the views of the people of Zimbabwe.

There is a danger that a negotiated constitution may just be seen as another version of the Kariba Draft which was itself a negotiated document by the 3 parties in Government.

There is no suggestion that a negotiated constitution would not be good for Zimbabwe. Our word of caution as expressed by the ordinary Zimbabweans is that COPAC should do what it promised. The GNU through the GPA promised a people driven constitution. They went round the country and made ordinary people believe that their views were to be the contents of the constitution. Ordinary people expect that. Any effort to change course will be in breach of the GPA article that deals with the constitution.

If the 2000 referendum is a lesson for Zimbabwe, then there is a possibility that people may vote not on the contents document but on how it has come about and who is behind it. Many scholars have argued with evidence that the rejected 2000 constitution was not a bad document after all. Indeed some leaders who vigorously led the no campaign in 2000 now admit it was a mistake.

A no vote in 2012 will be a repeat of the 2000 scenario that retains the out of date Lancaster House Constitution, leaving the country in a political merry-go-round, going nowhere.

All ZUPA advocates for is a process that the millions of unemployed people can view as transparent, honest and credible.

Like all others, we believe Zimbabwe will do well as a democratic state where the will of the people is protected and respected. Since the new constitution is one of the biggest and important projects for Zimbabwe, we have high hopes that COPAC will lead the historic process well.

All COPAC have to do is follow the GPA syllabus and respect the will of the people. Any attempt to pursue back door negotiations that ignore the expressed views of the people of Zimbabwe would be unfair to the people who are willing to have a new constitution but one that is their collective input.

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