Back to Index

This article participates on the following special index pages:

Update on the constitution outreach programme - Last week at a glance issue 41
Women's Coalition of Zimbabwe
July 30, 2010

Constitutional Update

Press Statement from the Minister of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs

Honourable Advocate Eric Matinenga, The Minister of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs recently made a press statement on the Constitutional Update. Addressing journalists and members of civil society, the Minister said as a way forward, provincial outreach teams have been instructed to make dates and places of meetings available in good time and liaison committees have been set up at district level to assist in information dissemination. Further, a Command Centre is being set up at the COPAC Head Office to improve the flow information and communication.

The Minister appreciated everyone's participation in the constitution making process, particularly that COPAC and Civil Society had come to an understanding regarding the monitoring of the outreach which would enrich the process and make it more credible.

A supplementary budget amounting to US$8 562 350 had been prepared and adopted on reassessment of the process and in light of the teething problems and oversight. It is anticipated that the outreach will be concluded by end of September 2010.

Interface meeting with the Minister of State Enterprisers and Parastatals - Hon Gordon Moyo and Civil Society

Last week Crisis Coalition invited civil society and Minister Gordon Moyo to an interface meeting to discuss the role of state enterprises in the transition. This was upon realisation that parastatals are not being managed effectively and if civil society is to make any meaningful contribution, one area that it needs to rethink is around analyzing the parastatals and state enterprises and how these institutions can best serve the Zimbabwean citizens. State parastatals and enterprises have the capacity of producing 40% of the national GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and are central to the democracy agenda in Zimbabwe and real economic policy change cannot take place without addressing the persons behind the state enterprises and parastatals.

The ministry is in the process of coming up with a corporate governance framework to address some of the challenges that some state enterprises have been facing in the area of corporate governance, of which the framework will be presented to cabinet. As a way forward, Civil society needs to find ways of cracking this corrupt system which has negatively affected the parastatals and public enterprises and there is need for the Ministry to engage with alternative intellectual capital and the business community in coming up with ways of reviving the parastatals.

COPAC - Press Statement - Outreach Teams Now Back at WORK!

The Constitutional Outreach Teams are now back at work, having taken a break from the 11th - 18th of July 2010 to attend the opening of Parliament and the presentation of the mid-term fiscal statement. Reports coming from the provinces have indicated that all teams are back at work, and hoping to cover all the wards scheduled for the week. At the time of the break, Mashonaland Central was leading with a total figure of 30
495. COPAC Co-chairs will be visiting Matebeleland North as it has recorded the lowest number of participants 6 205 to investigate the reasons of the low turnout. WCoZ remains worried about the low representation of women in the Constitutional Outreach teams which stands at 25%.

WCoZ Chapter Quarterly Meetings

WCoZ Chapters convene quarterly information sharing meetings and the WCoZ Secretariat had the opportunity to attend the Marondera Chapter Quarterly meeting which was chaired by Kumbirai Kundiona the Chapter Coordinator.

Five (5) WCoZ members in the chapter managed to attend the Mashonaland East Constitutional Outreach meetings. Members cited lack of adequate public awareness of the dates and venues of the outreach meetings which resulted in poor attendance and poor participation by women.

Cases of child abuse in the province are on the rise and members of the Marondera Chapter are in the process of writing to the area prosecutor in the province about their complaints. The accused abusers who are being released on bail pending appeal and harassing women who would have had them arrested.

Visit the Women's Coalition fact sheet

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

TOP