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MPs’ submissions to COPAC
Southern African Parliamentary Support Trust
November 15, 2010
Parliament
Submissions to COPAC
Parliamentarians
made their submissions on Thursday 11 November 2010 to COPAC on
what they would like to see in the new constitution. The session
was characterized by heckling, tedious repetition and lack of seriousness
on the party of law-makers. The two main political parties were
not agreed on almost all the thematic talking points as MPs expressed
partisan views which drew the ire of each other.
On the Preamble,
parties were only in agreement regarding the need to highlight the
sacrifices made by the people of Zimbabwe in the liberation struggle
that led to independence from the colonizers in 1980. However, ZANU
PF went further and suggested that the preamble should also capture
what they called “3rd Chimurenga”, the so-called economic
empowerment process, which stared with the land reform programme
in 2000. This suggestion drew jeers from MDC benches. On their part,
MDC MPs said the preamble should also highlight Gukurahundi atrocities,
Murambatsvina and politically motivated 2008
election violence. ZANU PF Members objected strongly to these
suggestions.
Below is a summary
of major highlights where the parties differed;
| Thematic
Talking Points |
ZANU
PF Position |
MDC-T
Position |
| Citizenship |
Mono Citizenship |
Dual Citizenship |
| Media |
Controlled
media |
Media freedom
and plurality |
| War Veterans |
Compensation
should include those who were at the battle front, mujibhas,
ex-detainees and restrictees. |
Compensation
should include those who were at the battle front, mujibhas,
ex-detainees and restrictees and the general populace who provided
freedom fighters with material assistance. |
| Land |
Irreversibility
of land reform, all remaining white farmers should be disposed
of their farms. No compensation to ex-white farmers. 99-Year
Lease Agreements |
Land Audit,
Land Commission. Clear procedures for land distribution and
compensation. Title Deeds. |
| Systems
of Government |
Unitary
system |
Devolved
system |
| Executive |
Executive
President. No Prime minister.
Ministers to be appointed by President among MPs.
|
Executive
Prime Minister to head government and titular president as head
of state. Ministers to be nominated by President among MPs but
approved by parliament. |
| Legislature |
Two Houses.
Floor crossing should be permitted. Appointees to cater for
interest groups e.g. women, disabled, business etc. |
Two Houses.
Floor crossing should not be permitted. No appointees. |
If the acrimonious
atmosphere in the House was indicative of what will happen when
the draft constitution is finally presented for debate in parliament,
it may not be farfetched to argue that the draft constitution will
not see the light of the day, unless political parties make concessions
and compromises outside the House. Because of the imminent elections
next year, the atmosphere is already poisoned in the two Houses
of parliament, to allow for fruitful engagement and debate.
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