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Zimrights report on the constitution making process
Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights)
March 02, 2010

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Grassroots consultations on the content of the constitution

Consultative meetings held by the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) have shown that the rights situation in the country hangs in the balance. Countrywide, people are afraid to embrace their right to express themselves freely on issues pertaining to their governance. In light of the impending consultative meetings by the Parliamentary Select Committee, this compromises the quality of data to be gathered by the committee.

A sneak preview of peoples' participation in governance issues has shown rampant apathy, unwillingness to participate in the process they think will not do anything to change the situation. Of note is the lack of understanding on the importance of their participation in any of these processes. Women's participation remains a case in point, as the inferiority of women in the face of their male counterparts is not yet a thing of the past. In most rural communities, the women's voice is still being swallowed by that of the father of the house.

Some of the people engaged by ZimRights have expressed concern over whether or not their contribution to the final document will be taken cognizance of. This document explores some of the key aspects that the organisation has seen recurring in the questionnaires that are distributed for the people to fill in.

South Africa, in the spirit of consultation, used different participatory methods to ensure that their constitution was inclusive of divergent views as possible. During the 1994 -1996 period when they wrote their own constitution, the Constitutional Assembly, the body overseeing the constitution making process, got over two million written submissions from members of the public and Zimrights endeavours to do the same in a bid to hear the silent voices.

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