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16th -17th October: Accreditation of delegates to Stakeholder Conference - Constitution Watch
October 15, 2012

Second All Stakeholders’ Conference 21st – 23rd October

On Sunday 21st October delegates needing accommodation arrive and settle in at their various hotels. The Conference will not be meeting that day. The work of the Conference will start on Monday 22nd. [The programme will be made available as soon as it is finalised.] The official opening will be on the Monday and the delegates will be divided into 18 working groups to go through each chapter of the draft constitution. On the Tuesday, report-back from the working groups will be completed and the Conference is expected to end by lunchtime.

New Accreditation Dates

Accreditation of delegates to the Second All Stakeholders’ Conference has been postponed to Tuesday 16th and Wednesday 17th October [COPAC had initially announced in the press on 12th October that it would be over the weekend 13th and 14th October]. Times and venues are set out further below. Delegates will be given accommodation arrangements on registering.

Possible Civil Society Boycott of Conference over Invitation Procedure

The National Association of NGOs [NANGO] and Crisis Coalition in Zimbabwe [Crisis] have protested to COPAC against the methodology employed to select civil society organisations to be invited to send delegates to the Conference. They have it on good authority that COPAC apportioned the 571 Conference places for civil society between the three GPA political parties in COPAC and that each party then proceeded to select and invite the organisations it wished to fill that party’s quota of 190. It was, however, left to the invited organisations to select their own delegates. NANGO and Crisis say this amounts to “paddocking of civil society along partisan political lines” and is unacceptable because it could compromise civil society’s independence and impartiality. On 12th October they wrote to COPAC explaining this and that they wish to participate in the Conference but “not under the participation regime that is currently being sponsored. Political parties do not own civil society, and COPAC should not aid the lie that they do, by pushing this untenable, unprofessional and partisan invitation framework”.

This issue is to be tabled at a COPAC Select Committee meeting on Monday 15th October. Indications from COPAC are that they will endeavour to resolve this to the satisfaction of civil society.

Accreditation of Conference Delegates

Dates and Times

Tuesday 16th October 8 am to 5 pm
Wednesday 17th October 8 am to 5 pm

Venues

Harare

COPAC Head Office Board Room
31 Lawson Avenue, Milton Park
COPAC staff: Mrs S Mutonga, 0773 098047

Bulawayo

Mhlanhlandlela Conference Room, Ground Floor
Cnr 10th Avenue/Basch St
COPAC staff: Mr I Mukwishu, 0774 032657

Matabeleland South

Provincial Administration Office Board Room
Local Government Complex, Bigben Road, Gwanda
COPAC staff: Mr C Mbiri, 0772 423428

Matabeleland North

Lupane
Local Board Community Hall [Kusile Hall], Lupane
COPAC staff: Ms V Dube, 0772 854110

Masvingo

Ground Floor Conference Room, Benjamin Burombo Building
Masvingo
COPAC staff: Mrs P Marecha, 0712 782225

Manicaland

Government Complex, R G Mugabe Rd
Mutare
COPAC staff: Mrs S Makombe, 0774 605312

Mashonaland East

Mbuya Nehanda Hall, Dombotombo Township
Marondera
COPAC staff: Mrs V Mahlangu, 0772 252272

Mashonaland West

Main Hall, Public Service Training Centre
Chinhoyi
COPAC staff: Ms M Nyahuye, 0772 926962

Mashonaland Central

Ground Floor Boardroom, Kuvaka House
92-93 Second Street
Bindura
COPAC staff: Ms N Njanji, 0773 369622

Midlands

Ground Floor Boardroom, Provincial Administration Offices
Government Offices, 10th St, Gweru
COPAC staff: Ms I Madamombe, 0775 359332

Conference Documents

A COPAC press statement dated 12th October confirmed that delegates will be supplied with the following documents in advance of the working sessions of the Conference – probably when they arrive on Sunday 21st October, if not at accreditation.

• COPAC draft constitution
• National Statistical Report
• Constitutional principles document
• Gap-filling document
• List of Agreed Constitutional Issues

International Observers

Foreign observers may attend the Conference. Foreign nationals wishing to attend should register their interest with embassies accredited to Zimbabwe.

Principals to Attend Opening of Conference

The party principals will be present at the opening of the Conference proceedings on Monday 22nd October. President Mugabe will deliver the keynote speech.

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