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Domboshava residents demand reforms before elections
Centre
for Community Development in Zimbabwe
January 19, 2011
Residents of
Domboshava, a farming community in Chinamhora have spoken against
the holding of elections soon after the Constitutional referendum
expected this year arguing that the political environment is not
conducive.Speaking at a community meeting jointly organized by the
Centre for Community Development In Zimbabwe (CCDZ) and a local
group Wadzanai Community Development Trust yesterday, participants
complained about continued harassment and intimidation by State
agents and youths aligned to the ZANU PF party. The meeting held
at Murape Community hall was meant to encourage people to participate
in the Constitutional referendum and elections expected after the
promulgation of the new law.
The meeting
was attended by 140 people who included members of the public, church
representatives, youths, women, councilors and other community leaders.Women,
the majority of whom are members of Wadzanai Community Trust turned
up for the meeting in large numbers and participated in the proceedings
effectively.The women complained about the continued violations
of their rights and stated that they were not allowed to say out
their views freely during the public outreach phase of the ongoing
Constitution-making process. "We were not allowed to speak
about our issues as women. Infact it was unthinkable to stand up
and say your views because we had been warned before," said
one participant.
Many of the
participants stated that they failed to attend the COPAC Public
Consultation meetings due to lack of awareness; however they stated
that they would play an active role during the Referendum. The participants
stated that they hoped to have early access to the Draft Constitution
to enable them to make informed decisions based on the contents
of the draft because the Constitution will form a basis for the
quality of their lives.
Those participants
that attended the COPAC public consultations meetings pointed out
that very few youth that attended because they do know the importance
of the Constitution making process and they assumed that the process
is a political matter and were thus afraid of being victimized.
The participants suggested that COPAC should have targeted youth
and children in their own 'comfort zones' in order to
ensure their participation in the process.
The participants
expressed matters surrounding the upcoming elections such as the
need for specific effort to ensure that all campaigning will be
free of violence and devoid of intimidation and threats, that the
disabled are able to cast their votes in a manner that upholds their
right to 'secret ballot', the need for early voter registration,
the need for sufficient and accessible polling stations, and they
also hoped that the draft Constitution will have dual citizenship
to enable 'aliens' who were born in Zimbabwe and contributed
to the liberation struggle to vote. The participants also suggested
that Zimbabweans should be able to vote from any part of the world
and the country; including prisoners and not be restricted by ward
based voter registration.
The women expressed
gratitude towards CCDZ and stated that they have been afraid to
participate in matters of governance due to ignorance, discrimination,
child-bearing, social and cultural factors. One of the headmen who
is a woman encouraged her counterparts to challenge these barriers
to women's political participation and added that there is
need to support each other and ensure that women's views are
taken into consideration in all governance processes. She stated
that women in Domboshava have excelled in farming, supported their
families and sent their children to school.
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