|
Back to Index
This article participates on the following special index pages:
New Constitution-making process - Index of articles
NCA
statement on President Mugabe’s cabinet
National
Constitutional Assembly (NCA)
September 13, 2013
The NCA is not
surprised by the uninspiring, bloated Cabinet
announced and sworn into office by President Mugabe. This lack of
surprise comes from the NCA`s long-standing belief that without
a democratic and people-driven constitution guiding the President
of the day in terms of the quality and size of Cabinet, Zimbabwe
will remain under an incompetent and unaccountable leadership.
President Mugabe’s
selection of cabinet is an insult to the intelligence of the people
of Zimbabwe.
We are gravely
disappointed by the recycling of the same old, tried, tested and
failed Ministers who have presided over the collapse of the economy
and key state institutions since the country attained independence.
The selection of cabinet Ministers should be based on merit and
not on the basis of ‘close links’ to the President.
It is the NCA`s
position that the occasion of Mugabe`s “new” Cabinet
under the auspices of the COPAC Constitution
must be used to demonstrate to all Zimbabweans the serious shortcomings
of the current constitution which were raised by the NCA campaign
for a NO vote. These are:
- There is
no limit in the Constitution on the number of Ministers. Mugabe
has exploited that loophole to appoint over 63 Ministers and Deputy
ministers. This is too big and too expensive for our country.
- There is
no time-limit within which the President must constitute a Cabinet.
Mugabe used that loophole to take over three weeks to constitute
his Cabinet. During that period, he was running the country alone.
- There is
no meaningful devolution. Mugabe has exploited the vague provisions
to retain Provincial Governors. The COPAC drivers and the MDCs
had told people during their “YES” campaign that the
new Constitution had abolished the post of Provincial Governors.
- There is
no quota on female cabinet Ministers. Mugabe has exploited the
vague provisions on gender to appoint only 8 out of 63 Ministers.
The MDCs and some women`s groups had claimed during
the “YES” campaign that the new Constitution guaranteed
women equal representation in all state organs.
- There is
provision for the President to appoint up to 5 Ministers from
outside Parliament.
Mugabe has used this provision to appoint 5 Ministers from outside
Parliament.
These illustrations
show that the country still has no democratic and people-driven
constitution. The NCA will continue to work towards a genuinely
democratic and people-driven constitution.
In this regard,
Mugabe`s new Cabinet must expect vigorous scrutiny from the NCA,
which is already embarking on building a movement of the people
focussing on ensuring that by 2018 Zimbabwe will have a competent
alternative to the recycled Mugabe appointees.
Visit the NCA
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
|
