Exiled Zimbabweans want to be part of the constitutional debate

Shumba is the executive director of Zimbabwe Exiled Forum (ZEF), which is based in Pretoria.

“The main issues that have arisen so far is the diaspora vote and dual citizenship,” said Shumba.

He said they were also looking forward to see executive powers of the president trimmed, a reduced Presidential term freedom of the press, and an independent judiciary among others in the new constitution.

“There is no doubt that Zimbabwe needs to follow the example of Mozambique, South Africa and other countries in the region to ensure that the expatriate vote is respected,” he said,

He said Zimbabwe had well over four million citizens living in exile.

“If these peoples’ voices are lost in any process taking place back home, any talk of reconstruction would not be realistic,” said Shumba.

Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) spokesman for South Africa, Sibanengi Dube, said his party would like to invite the constitution making committee to also visit South Africa for their input.

“We want the return of the dual citizenship, the end of the disenfrachisement of people in Diaspora and propositional representation in parliament.

“Civic societies voice has always been welcome by MDC. We envisage a situation whereby everyone’s views are incorporated in the constitution making process. It would be stupid for us as MDC to all of a sudden try to keep some constituencies out,” said Dube.

He said his party would want everyone in and outside Zimbabwe to be allowed to vote.

Dube said half of the voting age population of Zimbabwe were forced to leave the country due to economic and political situation and stripping them of voting rights was just scandalous.

Global Zimbabwe Forum’s Luke Zunga, said it had presented to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) that no-one had the moral authority to talk about Zimbabwe issues without including those abroad.

“The reality is that there are more questions than answers. The constitutional process has excluded the Diaspora,” said Zunga.

National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) coordinator, Njodzi Mutandira, said his organisation was always committed to a genuine constitution making process.

The NCA has beleived and still believes that the process of constitution making is as important as the contents of the constitution.

He said it would be up to the people of Zimbabwe (including the diaspora if they are allowed to have a say by the current political dispensation) to decide what to do.