Zanu (PF) push Kariba Draft

The Zanu (PF) militia has been telling people to attend the constitutional meetings unless they are advocating for either the Kariba draft constitution or the continued use of the current constitution. Violence against MDC supporters is escalating in the Manicaland province particularly in Chimanimani East (from Cashel valley and Nedziwa).

A local councillor told The Zimbabwean that Zanu (PF) leaders in the area were at the forefront of intimidating the villagers who are openly speaking against the Kariba Draft. The leaders of these groups are also threatening villagers with assault and ex-communication from their areas if they take part in the constitution making process, he said. He said these developments in the political arena were an indication of Zanu (PF)s determination to ensure that the envisaged constitution suffered a stillbirth.

They are continuing to use uniformed forces to intimidate the people here in my area. There is thus need for civil society and Zimbabweans at large to advocate for institutional and legislative reforms during the constitution making process for a democratic constitution to come out. As long as repressive laws such as POSA still exist and security forces remain under Zanu (PF) control, the outcome of the constitution could be pre-determined by President Mugabes party, said the councillor.

While the Parliament Select Committee, which is spearheading the constitution making process, is set to deploy teams for the outreach meetings, a dark cloud hovers over the success of the process owing to the arrests and intimidation of MDC supporters in mostly peri-urban and rural areas.

The Crisis Coalition of Zimbabwe recently said that although the process was witnessing significant progress, arrests of MDC supporters on trumped up charges and terror campaigns by suspected state agents, members of the uniformed forces and Zanu (PF) supporters in mostly peri-urban and rural areas continued.

According to reports in Chimanimani, the terror campaigns were aimed at ensuring the adoption of the Kariba Draft constitution or maintenance of the current constitution, amended 19 times over a period of 23 years.

These reports could ultimately result in a skewed outcome. An independent constitution monitoring project, ZZZICOMP comprised of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) and Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP), released a report which stated that there were at least eight documented and confirmed cases of assault, torture and other forms of intimidation perpetrated against MDC supporters by suspected State agents and ZANU PF supporters in the country as the constitution making process reaches feverish pitch.

The report also mentions that there are some politicians holding meetings suggesting answers to what they say are the talking points which the Parliament Select Committee will use during the outreach phase and demanding that people adopt the Kariba Draft constitution.