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Constitutional update
Bulawayo Agenda
July 22, 2010

Matabeleland South

Attendance - The participation of the community has significantly improved with sources in Insiza District reporting that in some meetings over a hundred people have attended.

Systems of government - There was unanimity in most of the places were meetings were held for a federal state.

Electoral systems - The community of Mabuza among others proposed for the use of first past the post

Women and gender issues - The participants argued that parliament should not reserve any special quota seats for women but that they be voted into parliament through the same system as their male counterparts.

Traditional leaders - Insiza district participants said that special seats should be reserved for traditional leaders in parliament. They also said that there is need for traditional leaders such as chiefs to be given judicial powers and decision making powers on all environmental issues.

Transitional mechanisms - Sources in the district argue that members of the community remain unclear of what transitional methods should be employed in the country. They said that communities only spoke of transitional methods in terms of elections ignoring factors such as what will happen should the incumbent president resign and also what will happen if the incumbent president losses in an election. They said that there is need for the outreach teams to explain further to ensure that the communities understand.

Matabeleland North

Attendance - The participation of the community has significantly improved in Binga District where the meetings are currently being held with areas such as Kalungizwi having three hundred people in one meeting.

Systems of government - The devolved system is seemingly gaining momentum in the district with more and more people advocating for it in the constitutional outreach meetings.

Arms of State - Communities in most of the areas have said that presidential terms should be limited to two five year terms only. They also said that the country should only have a president, with one vice president and no prime minister.

War veterans - The participants in most of the meetings were unanimous that the new constitution should not recognise the importance of war veterans. The participants argued that war veterans in Zimbabwe had been compensated enough the times and there is need for the war veteran's pension fund to come to an end.

Land - The participants in Siyabhuwa area called for the rectification of the land issue.

Language - Binga community members said that there is need for the country to recognise all languages as official languages.

Midlands

Attendance - Sources in the District say that attendances continue to be good with rural meetings attracting up to 300 people.

Welfare of the team - The welfare of the teams has improved marginally with some members who were not receiving meals at a Gweru hotel being relocated to alternative accommodation in Kwekwe where they are now receiving meals. A source in the teams says this arrangement, though noble, means that a couple of hours are lost in the mornings as they have to wait for the colleagues from Kwekwe before they take off.

Media - A number of issues that have been unanimously supported in Shurugwi district and these have included the need for plurality in the media sector to have as many voices as possible being heard

Women and gender issues - Most people agreed that there should be quota systems in many public appointments as a means of empowering women.

Traditional leaders - There were mixed feelings on the issue of traditional leaders with some participants arguing that they should have seats reserved for them in parliament and that they should also be the custodians of land while others did not agree with that arguing that they need to partake only in their traditional role.

War veterans - Feelings were also divided with regards to war veterans with some feeling that they should get monthly allowances and their children should receive free education while others feel that the issue of war veterans is not constitutional at all.

Youth - Members of the community in Shurugwi were divided in opinion with regards to the issue of the National Youth Service with some feeling that is should be voluntary while others think it should be compulsory.

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