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Draft resolutions of the Second People's Constitution Convention
National Constitutional Assembly (NCA)
July 27, 2009

Theme: Take Charge: We the people shall write our own Constitution

We, as delegates gathered for the historic and second national People's Constitutional Convention, held on 27 July 2009 at the Chitungwiza Aquatic Centre as was the case in 1999 in the city of Chitungwiza, with a complete understanding of the protracted nature and character of the struggle for a new democratic constitution for Zimbabwe, with full commitment to the leadership of this struggle by the National Constitutional Assembly, hereby resolve and commit ourselves to the following principles and resolutions;

1. We unreservedly recommit ourselves to the principles and resolutions articulated 10 years ago by the National Working People's Convention as well as the first People's Constitutional Convention in 1999 and as outlined as recently as 2008 in the Zimbabwe People's Charter. We hold that these principles that outline what we know and believe to be a truly people driven constitution making process hold true today and remain non-negotiable.

2. Because of the principles enunciated above, we therefore unreservedly reject the government led process for constitutional reform as outline in Article 6 of the Global Political Agreement and strongly recommend that the current process as being led by parliament and the inclusive government be immediately stopped and an independent, democratic constitutional reform process be initiated.

3. We resolve that if the inclusive government and or parliament do not heed our call to cease forthwith the constitutional reform process as outline in the Article 6 of the Global Political Agreement (GPA), we will actively seek a rejection of any draft constitution produced by the same process through campaigning for a NO vote should that draft be brought to a referendum.

4. We further resolve that the people of Zimbabwe have an inalienable right to reject or accept any draft constitution brought before them and that if they so decide to reject any document that comes out of the GPA's Article 6, it remains their democratic right to do so.

5. That after such a possible rejection of a draft constitution that emerges from the Article 6 process, we will continue to lead and assist the people to continue in earnest with the campaign for a democratic constitution as soon as possible after that No Vote.

6. We further resolve that we shall undertake and expand our civic education programme to explain to the people of Zimbabwe that the resolutions outlined herein beginning in the month of August 2009 until such time that there is a people driven democratic constitution for Zimbabwe.

7. We also recommit ourselves to ensuring that there is gender equality and recognition of the views and needs of the physically challenged in our Take Charge campaign.

8. We re-emphasise that the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), the Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU), Zimbabwe Chamber of the Informal Economy Associations (ZCIEA), National Council for Disabled Persons in Zimbabwe (NCDPZ), and other civic society organisations attending this convention continue to mandate the National Constitutional Assembly to lead the constitutional reform process.

The full and final resolutions shall be announced at a press conference to be announced by the NCA after the Convention Report has been compiled.

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