Secret agents and youth militia led by a war veteran and former Zimbabwe National Army Brigadier identified as Dube, have launched a terror campaign in the area.
The Moveent for Democratic Change (MDC) councillor in the area Titus Makore said Dube with a group of intelligence officers and some youth militia that underwent the notorious and controversial national service training at the nearby Eagles Training were responsible for the terror campaign in the area.
The outreach programmes have been very tense. There is a heavy presence of plain clothes policemen and Zanu (PF) militia who are victimising and threatening MDC supporters who are contributing points that are against the Kariba Draft document. The people attending the meetings are being ordered to chant Zanu (PF) slogans and, at times, beaten up, said Makore.
The councillor said that some intelligence officers under the instructions of Dube allegedly abducted three MDC supporters who were drinking beer at Watsomba business centre last week and severely beat them up after being accused of being talkative during the outreach meetings.
At Matondo business centre last week, the people said the new constitution must ensure the judiciary will remain free.
A villager, David Maina said the judiciary should strive for independence from government interference and control.
The judiciary should not be a tool of oppression by those in power. There must be equitable distribution of state resources without discrimination on grounds of political affiliation, he said.
The villagers said the looting and abuse of state resources should be stopped.
Said Nathan Chigodora a villager: Uniformed forces should carry out their duties professionally without discriminating on partisan grounds guided by a code of conduct that respects human dignity. We want that in the new constitution.
The people also said torture by the police force should never be tolerated and such acts of impunity should be punished severely.
We are being harassed by overzealous Zanu (PF) youths who are forcing the Kariba Draft on us. We do not want that draft constitution. We want a people driven constitution, which embraces the wishes of the people of Zimbabwe, said Francis Zamba another villager.
Civil society groups in the province have embarked on road shows to stimulate debate on the constitution-making process, which is currently on course.
The Crisis Coalition in Zimbabwe (CCZ) and Restoration Of Human Rights Zimbabwe (ROHR) among other civil society groups are at the forefront of constitutional reforms and are holding meetings encouraging people to participate in the writing of a new supreme law.
The purpose is to educate communities on the role they can play in the writing of their constitution. The aim is to get their voices heard so that we can take it up to the policy makers. The end product is having a grass-roots constitution in which the people can identify with.
Post published in: Politics