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COPAC's response to data disappearance
Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights)
January 28, 2011

COPAC held a press conference today, 28 January, to refute and denounce allegations in the state owned newspaper, Herald that the data collected during the constitution outreaches has disappeared.

Speaking at the press briefing, COPAC co-chair Hon Douglas Mwonzora said the Herald headline which read, "COPAC data disappears" was not misleading but caused a lot of unnecessary panic among people regarding the management of the recently collected data on the constitution making process. He added that the security measures that COPAC put in place during the constitution making process make it impossible for information to be lost. Mwonzora said the three technical specialists from the three political parties who saw the data uploading exercise can confirm this.

COPAC spokesperson, Honourable Jessie Majome added that it is impossible for COPAC to lose data, arguing that it has been saved in many forms. Firstly it is saved in word form and electrical form. The word format is made up of written and typed reports on each meeting, from three rapporteurs of each group and a consolidated report for everything. While the electrical format is made up of the audio and video recordings of the meetings among other formats.

In their press statement COPAC however, acknowledges that there were some discrepancies noted on the CODACA VO1 uploading system reports printed out. These were noted in information related to the thematic areas of land, natural resources and the environment, citizenship, labour and executive organs of the state. Enquiries have since attributed these problems to system challenges. COPAC thinks it is therefore not fair at this juncture to assume that any political party tampered with the information.

ZimRights also spoke to one of the rapporteurs involved in the uploading exercise and he confirmed that there is no data that is missing. He pointed out that the uploading server had mixed up some of the answers and questions.

Meanwhile, COPAC ensures the people that they will try to make the constitution making process as transparent as possible, and will ensure that the new constitution will only represent the views of the people of Zimbabwe

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