2009 has been that year that we will look at and proudly say to ourselves as Zimbabweans we were right in defending the guiding principles and values to a people driven democratic constitution making process as expressed by the positions of the people of Zimbabwe since 1997.
Regardless of the enormous challenges we faced we remained true to the founding principles of our broad democratic movement and the yearnings of the Zimbabwean masses as expressed in the historical positions of the people. The inception of an inclusive government in February of 2009 which ushered in a transition presented a lot of complexities to the pro-democracy forces. There were moments of fierce disagreements. We have remained faithful and true to the ideals of our founding documents.
It has been so for the past years and so it must be with the coming year 2010. A year which promises to be full of activity, as the onslaught to mislead the masses intensifies.
The recently launched state media campaigns to mislead and hoodwink the masses into believing that they are part to the constitution-making charade currently underway bears testimony that the politicians are prepared to go all the way to impose themselves and their views on the people of Zimbabwe. We see these shenanigans as they are, deception, and we wish to remind political elites that we have travelled this road before.
We stand here today as the curtain for 2009 closes convinced that we have survived our darkest hour, convinced that 2010 will see a major peoples victory. We remain convinced that a great people have been awakened and no amount of political posturing will deceive the masses.
The constitutional movement will in 2010 intensify campaigns for a genuine people driven constitution making process. We remain guided by the historic positions of the people of Zimbabwe over the years, reaffirmed at the 2nd all peoples convention at the Aquatic Complex in Chitungwiza on Monday 27 July 2008.
For the avoidance of doubt and demystifying the propaganda peddled by Douglas Mwonzora and company regarding the NCA position, we will take this opportunity to re-state our position by reproducing the resolutions of the 2nd Peoples Constitutional Convention, which state:
We unreservedly recommit ourselves to the principles and resolutions articulated 10 years ago by the National Working Peoples Convention as well as the first Peoples Constitutional Convention in 1999 and as outlined as recently as 2008 in the Zimbabwe Peoples Charter. We hold that these principles that outline what we know and believe to be a truly people driven constitution making process hold true today and remain non-negotiable.
We therefore unreservedly reject the government-led process for constitutional reform as outlined in Article 6 of the Global Political Agreement and strongly recommend that the current process as being led by parliament and the inclusive government be immediately stopped and an independent, democratic constitutional reform process be initiated.
We resolve that if the inclusive government and or parliament do not heed our call to cease forthwith the constitutional reform process as outlined in Article 6 of the Global Political Agreement (GPA), we will actively seek a rejection of any draft constitution produced by the same process through campaigning for a NO vote should that draft be brought to a referendum.
We further resolve that the people of Zimbabwe have an inalienable right to reject or accept any draft constitution brought before them and that if they so decide to reject any document that comes out of the GPAs Article 6, it remains their democratic right to do so.
That after such a possible rejection of a draft constitution that emerges from the Article 6 process, we will continue to lead and assist the people to continue in earnest with the campaign for a democratic constitution as soon as possible after that No Vote.
We further resolve that we shall undertake and expand our civic education programme to explain to the people of Zimbabwe the resolutions outlined herein beginning in the month of August 2009 until such time there is a people driven democratic constitution for Zimbabwe.
We also recommit ourselves to ensuring that there is gender equality and recognition of the views and needs of the physically challenged in our TAKE CHARGE campaign.
As we enter 2010 this will be the agenda and program of action for the constitutional movement. We will, beginning this very January, together with our traditional allies, the labour and students movements, intensify the peoples community meetings and grassroots mobilisation for a genuine people driven constitution. Bumbiro Ngarinyorwe Nevanhu. (NCA National Spokesperson)
Post published in: News