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Zimbabwe Briefing - Issue 89
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (SA Regional Office)
August 29, 2012

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Citizens Must Resist ZANU PF Bully Tactics

The parliamentary led constitutional review process in Zimbabwe is not a perfect process and the draft constitution released is a reflection of that. It was simply being too optimistic and farfetched in our imagination and hopes to think that a process led by three political parties would produce a "perfect" constitution. Yet what we have as a draft is something that can be worked with, at the minimum, to allow society to move on and deal with this matter comprehensively at a later stage.

There is no way that the current draft can be the end document of a constitution in Zimbabwe, but at some point, by whatever means, in whatever age, this matter has to be revisited again. The sad part is that ZANU PF's shenanigans are now at play once again in the life of the people of Zimbabwe. The ZANU PF leadership has basically torn to shreds the draft and came up with amendments of its own in a series of long meetings at the party's HQ. If ZANU PF had spent half this time focusing on the interests of the people of Zimbabwe then we can be sure that this country would not be in this mess.

ZANU PF has basically revised all the key elements of this constitution that represented slight changes to the current document, and this includes the need for balance and equitable sharing of power between the Executive and the legislature, an improved bill of rights and the re-form of state institutions that have been abused for partisan political ends and these include the police, Intelligence, Military and Attorney General's Office. The Executive Presidency of President Robert and the abuse of national state and legal institutions are the pillars of ZANU PF in this present political set up and these need to be whittled down to ensure long term stability and rebuilding of key state institutions.

The abuse of these institutions has often been felt in the area of human rights where we have seen the intelligence, police and military, the AGs office all being mobilised to protect and advance the interests of ZANU PF. Such protection has overridden the interests of the majority of the people of Zimbabwe and has taken the form of murder, kidnapping, harassment and threats, and abuse of the law to restrict opposition to unpopular ZANU PF's polices and actions. It is therefore interesting that while attempting to prop the Executive's unfettered power to control these institutions through its revised draft, ZANU PF is also undermining the human rights protection provisions to nothing thereby exposing its true intentions that is to continue abusing both state power and the citizens of Zimbabwe for political and corrupt ends.

It is not surprising to hear ZANU PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo say that his party will not yield on its demand for the COPAC draft to be revised and that the other parties are stupid. Gumbo went on, to wrongly state that the ZANU PF revisions represent the majority of the people, which is not true as the party was clearly outvoted in 2008. Interestingly ZANU PF only survived 2008 through its control of state institutions that include all that it is now protecting through its revised draft. Interestingly again the victims of repression are citizens who ZANU PF is giving thin protection and sometimes undefined rights as under the old system. This is politics at its dirtiest when a small group uses its political muscle to control society for its own ends. This is the moment that the people of Zimbabwe are being called to resist ZANU PF and its shenanigans.

The history of this country for the past decade represents all that goes wrong when power is bestowed on a clique more so one that is all designed to self serve. The discussion on the draft constitution more so on ZANU PF's attempts at subverting this process must remind us that there is a line that should never be crossed in national governance, that is surrendering the peoples will and determination to a small clique. The real elephant in the room is not so much what ZANU PF is proposing on the constitution but simply putting ZANU PF in its rightful place as a minority party that can no longer dictate its policies on the majority.

Noting that ZANU PF is still dominant through its abuse of weak constitutional provisions and control of state institutions, this resistance is not going to be easy, but so are the other options of keeping quiet and making muted protestations. It is good that the other MDC parties have taken a stand and are maintaining their positions that the draft be taken to the referendum as is.

It is important that the SADC mediation process be informed by both civil society and other parties that the constitution represents a major step in Zimbabwe's transition and that there is need to support a process and document that meaningfully changes Zimbabwe not tinker-ing with a few words. Citizens of Zimbabwe must equally be made aware on what this means so that informed decisions are taken at a personal level. In our political odyssey as a society, this part of the struggle represents a chapter we must over-come.

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