Back to Index

This article participates on the following special index pages:

Confusion mars civic society on constitution
Community Radio Harare (CORAH)
December 07, 2012

As the country prepares for a referendum which leads to the polls, members of the civic society have once again been divided on whether to vote Yes or No.

The confusion and division came out Wednesday in Harare at an event to discuss the position of civil society on the Zimbabwe constitution making process at the Media Centre where Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions Secretary General Japheth Moyo and ZimRights Director Okay Machisa clashed.

"Article 6 of the GPA clearly states who the civic society is in the constitution making process. We are spectators or assistants in this process and what is needed is to mobilise and demand that the parties in the inclusive government finalise the constitution making process, since we do not have control over the process," Moyo said.

Japhet Moyo reminded his colleagues that GPA principals are the dictators of the constitution making process, a statement which ZimRights Boss Okay Machisa refuted.

"Why do we have the Prime Minister Tsvangirai, Mugabe, Mutambara or Welshman Ncube coming together, trying to come up with another committee, of what? We are sick and tired of these committees which have not achieved anything," said Okay Machisa. "But let us not fool ourselves. SADC as they are the guarantors of GPA they know that we have challenges and they should intervene now."

National Constitutional Assembly chairperson Professor Lovemore Madhuku turned down the media centre invitation to the event saying his position is known.

Madhuku condemned the composition of the draft constitution team from the onset. He has since launched a "NO VOTE" campaign to the draft constitution when it goes for a referendum.

Women's Coalition Chairperson Virginia Muwanigwa also present at the meeting and said they are happy with the draft constitution.

The youth on the other side complained that they were never consulted from the beginning of the drafting of the constitution.

Visit the Community Radio Harare fact sheet

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

TOP