|
Back to Index
This article participates on the following special index pages:
New Constitution-making process - Index of articles
Zimbabwe's Elections 2013 - Index of Articles
Crisis Report Issue 185
Crisis
in Zimbabwe Coalition (SA Regional Office)
May 23, 2013
Download
this document
- Acrobat
PDF version (461KB)
If you do not have the free Acrobat reader
on your computer, download it from the Adobe website by clicking
here
The new Constitution
of Zimbabwe prohibits the security forces from engaging in partisan
conduct, a development that could rein in the very institutions
whose leaders have, on numerous occasions, threatened to reject
any electoral outcome in which President Robert Mugabe loses.
President Mugabe
signed the document – overwhelmingly endorsed
at the March referendum – on Wednesday May 22.
The historic
event was held at the State House in Harare and was witnessed by
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur
Mutambara among other government officials.
The document
replaces the ceasefire constitution
adopted at the sunset of colonial rule at Lancaster House, London
in Britain in 1979.
The Security
Service bosses – Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander Constantine
Chiwenga, Police Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri and Prisons
Chief Paradzai Zimondi – have been insisting they will not
tolerate an election victory which favours anyone who did not participate
in the liberation struggle.
However, the
Sixth Schedule of the new supreme law which came into effect upon
the signing says stipulations relating to the conduct of members
of the security services in section 208 have become law.
“Neither
the security services nor any of their members may, in the exercise
of their functions act in a partisan manner, further the interests
of a political party or cause, prejudice the lawful interests of
any political party or cause,” reads the new Zimbabwean law.
Given that Chiwenga
recently called Tsvangirai a “psychiatric patient” the
new law speaks to such conduct stating:
“Defense
forces of Zimbabwe must be non-partisan, national in character,
patriotic, professional, and subordinate to civilian authority as
established by this constitution,” the important document
reads. Chihuri is on record for confessing that he is a member of
Zanu-PF and all the service chiefs have been featuring at the party’s
gatherings while Chief Superintendent Oliver Mandipaka is already
campaigning to be a member of Parliament
while he is still an active serving member of the ZRP. Low ranking
soldiers have allegedly been deployed to run Zanu-PF election campaigns
in the past, but according to the new Constitution’s Sixth
Schedule which came into effect on Wednesday:
“Members
of the security services must not be active members or office-bearers
of any political party, or organisation.
“Serving
members of the security services must not be employed or engaged
in civilian institutions except in periods of public emergency.”
The greater
part of the Constitution will come into effect after the elections.
Download
full document
Visit the Crisis
in Zimbabwe 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
|
