NATIONAL Constitutional Assembly (NCA) chairperson Lovemore Madhuku has described as “nonsense” and “meaningless” the move by the inclusive government to hold a referendum on the draft constitution in four weeks’ time, saying it gave insufficient time for people to study the document.
Staff Writer
Madhuku said this in an interview yesterday following Wednesday’s announcement by Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs minister Eric Matinenga that the referendum would be on March 16. Matinenga said his ministry would hold two meetings per province while Copac would hold one meeting in each district to explain the draft to the people in the run-up to the referendum. But Madhuku described Matinenga’s pronouncement as “ridiculous”, and indicated the NCA would wait for the gazetting of the draft constitution expected today before filing a High Court application to halt the process and allow people to get two months to go through the draft constitution. Coordinator of the International Socialist Organisation Munyaradzi Gwisai has slammed the constitution-making process saying it fails to address “fundamental issues of severe poverty, gender and social inequality”.
madhuku haana kukwana
Kusaziva kufa,enda unofa.
We need to study it ourselves
You welcome to differ with Madhuku on the contents of Copac but saying the people should be allowed time to go through the document is such a logical thing criticizing for that is pathetic to say the least.
If Mugabe is really press for time then why did he take four and half years before he “dictated” the constitution and now he is refusing the people two months to study his handy work! Is it because he expects us to just accept everything with no questions asked!
for once i agree wth madhuku. we nd time 2 analyse it. most pple dnt understnd it, me included! really thr z no benefit in rushn 4 a referendum. we nd at least 2 months. tht said i think its beta thn current draft, yes vote!!!
Allow me to agree with Madhuku,if it took 4years to come up with the new constitution,hw come they r rushing us to adopt it in 4 weeks?what pains me me d most we are being told what to do.Thanks to the government that we elected for seeing us as puppets of d zimbabwean government.POWER HUNGRY LEADERS,SHAME ON YO EVIL DEEDS IN TIMES OF POVERTY.
yes if it tuk 4 yrz to make e’ draft, yy nt allow us 2 thoroughly analyze it? they are really telling us wat to do…it dznt seem democratic. i supoz its a negotiated document…
I agree with Madhuku fully. The people you are asking to endorse this supreme law need time to get to know it. The rural peasants in Gatawa and Taru village in rural Mberengwa hapana chavanoziva nezvamuri kuda kuti va vhote vachitenda kana kuramba. Tsvangirai we sadly look up to you for rationality and often we get disappointed. Even this talk of elections by july is crazy nekuti ma reforms for free and fair elections hapana, ZBC, police, army, ZEC is still partisan. Tsvangirai usamhanya unodonha take your time!
i also wonder yy tsvangirai is eager 4 e’ referendum. i dnt knw who hs seen the draft, i m sure 90% havnt! tsvangirai draft is important bt push for reforms more. conditions hvnt changed frm last elections…
The draft constitution has been available on the COPAC website for everyone to review since the all stakeholders conference in October 2012. The final draft has been available since end of January and people still have over a month to review. People who wanted to understand the constitution have already read and analyzed it by now. What were you all doing when the rest of Zimbabweans were holding endless debates on the constitution? Anyone who still hasn’t read the constitution is just a hopeless procrastinator and will still not read it even if given another 6 months. Those who have read and not understood it have one month to seek help or just admit they have limited comprehension skills and give it up. Please let’s just move on. We have wasted too much time already.
Not everyone has internet Portia. Ko sekuru na mabuya varikumusha vovota pa chii? Ko vanhu vasina magetsi kurizeva voziva kuti zvorevei zvirimu draft yacho? iwe waverenga but thats not enough for everyone.
Nhai Portia ko wapindwanei kutinyadzisa kudai, kana unambuya kana sekuru vaunoziva just go and seat with them 4 10minutes, am sure if u do that 4 sure u will appreciate that u are , just like me and all those with access to the copac site being used as rubberstamps for the future generations turmoil, lets not curse our kids even a year to go through it (Draft ) is worth it considering the million silly excuses they gave to comeup with the draft after 4 years. May god Bless us, Pss by the way usatuka vanhu Portia through unfounded comments & wrong intelligence.
Supporters and followers, who are the majority will not read the draft constitution. They have delegated that to their political leaders/parties.We saw it when the first COPAC Draft was released. Some ‘lazy’ minds accepted it without studying it and their followers did the same. Then another camp with intellectual stamina studied it and rejected it and their followers follwed suite.
Also, to ‘study’ the draft constitution is a strenous intellectual exercise that many people don’t find worth their while.
We also witnessed it with the 2000 Draft consitution which many people rejected without studying. Later, academics like the late Pro Makamure would reveal the goodness of that constitution. Even now, those who have taken time to study the 2000 Draft constitution will tell that it was a missed opportunity. But that is water under the bridge.
What is dishearting is that we don’t seem to have learnt anything from that mistake.
I actually think the time set for people to study the draft is a complete waste of time and money. But we all know the politicians…..that is their way of making money.