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COPAC operations an indoor meeting
Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights)
July 04, 2011

Residents in Kambuzuma, complained over the silence of the constitutional making body (COPAC) on the ground covered in the constitutional reform process describing the secrecy as equalling to a closed door meeting.

The complaints were raised during a ZimRights orgnised human rights civic education meeting at Kambuzuma 2 Shopping centre. The meeting was attended by 96 participants; 53 of them being men and the remaining female representation.

Topical issues during the day revolved around the on-going constitutional reform process and the related talk of election, implementation of the GPA and the role of the SADC in the survival of the Zimbabwe political economy. Mr Munava , the ZimRights Programmes Manager started by giving an update on current national issues after which he invited community sentiments. The participants, most of whom are unemployed confessed ignorance on what is going in relation to the topical issue. According to Mr Munava, in simple words; "the community cried foul over the limited publicity of the constitution making process" and added that "what can only quench their thirst with regards to that matter would be regular updates on meeting with communities from COPA."

Acknowledging the print media publicity that the body sporadically utilise in updating the people on the ground covered, ZimRights through these meetings has discovered that Zimbabwean communities do not have access to information through that form of information dissemination tool. The organisation therefore appeals to the responsible authorities to device more ways that will complement the print media. Human rights campaigners would also like to register disappointment with the politically motivated on and off mode that COPAC has found itself in; in the past weeks in regard to which template to use in compiling the information gathered during the consultative phase. The organisation therefore calls the parliamentarians to put the interests of the people of Zimbabwe ahead of their own.

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