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COPAC Outreach Day 11
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition
July 03, 2010

Mashonaland East

Today, 03 July 2010, two meetings were observed at Chinamhora hall and Makumbe Visitation Secondary School in Goromonzi. Both meetings were attended by an average of 70 people each with the low attendance attributed to poor publicity by COPAC. For example, in Chinamhora, only one poster was seen at a market stall advertising the meeting while no posters were seen at Makumbe Secondary School. At Chinamhora hall, the COPAC team was only entertaining five contributors for each question, limiting the levels of citizen participation.

Masvingo

Reports were that there is heavy military, state intelligence and ware veterans' presence in Masvingo province. A monitor said war veterans are taking advantage of abandoned meetings to coach residents on what to say during the COPAC outreach meetings. In the Mwenezi west and Chiredzi North resettlement areas, there is inadequate information on the outreach meetings.

Manicaland

So far, COPAC has held 11 meetings in Mutare North, 13 in Mutare South and 8 in Mutare West. Advance teams, made up members of the military, state intelligence and ZANU PF supporters are allegedly being deployed ahead of COPAC meetings particularly in Mutare North and South, which are largely resettlement areas. It is alleged that these teams are deployed to impart ZANU PF demands in the proposed constitution to citizens and to ensure that hose who are not chosen to speak during meetings remain silent under 'Operation Chumumumu' (Operation Remain Silent.)

Matebeleland South

There allegedly no information on COPAC schedules in Bulilima and Mangwe. ZANU PF is allegedly taking advantage of this information gap and calling for meetings under the guise of food distribution programs where they allegedly distribute yellow papers outlining the party's position on the constitution. Among other things, the position paper calls for two term presidential limit with no specific years, the redistribution of land with 99 year leases and the recognition and compensation of war veterans.

Matebeleland North

A monitor in Hwange Urban, Matebeleland North reported that some meetings are being announced one hour before their scheduled commencement. At three, ZAOGA church, roman catholic Church and Empumalanga Bus Stop in ward 4, Hwange urban the meetings were attended by 30 people each as a result of poor publicity by COPAC.

Midlands North

At Ngavi business Centre, at a meeting held on the 1st of July 2010, a participant said that although they had been coached on what to say, he would air his views regardless of the consequences.

Mashonaland West

In Makonde Ward 19 a meeting was held today at Gamanya Primary School, Makonde and attended by 160 people. A monitor however reported that participants are simply echoing political party views with selected individuals contributing while others emphasized the issues raised. It was highlighted that some of the talking points, when translated to Shona became too technical and difficult to understand.

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