The Daily Agenda 23 August 2010

Reports say that there was a clash when two teams were allocated venues that are about 1km apart resulting in one venue with more people than the other.

Systems of government- Community members said they prefer devolution of power as they feel that their province has been neglected by the current system.

The Executive- There was a lot of debate with some community members clamouring for a life president with executive powers, provided that people approve, while some people felt that there is a need for a two term of five years time frame which will ensure accountability on the part of the president.

Bill of Rights- It was agreed that the right to education, health and shelter must be guaranteed in the constitution. They said that freedoms such as association, assembly and expression must also be taken account of in the new constitution so as to reach for democracy. Women and Gender- It was agreed that there should be seats reserved for women and special interest groups.

Midlands:

Attendance- Outreach meetings were held in Kwekwe town in the centre, it is reported that high levels of intimidation could be detected from the multitude of people that attended the meetings. This fear was said to be instilled through prayers by some participants, at the beginning of the meetings that sought to intimidate even the outreach team members. The teams have, however, resorted to praying on their own.

The Executive- It is said that residents demanded the president to have executive powers. However, some residents were opposed to this idea saying that there should be separation of powers. Youths- Debate ensued on the issue of National Youth Service with some participants saying that youths should be compelled to be recruited while some said that it should remain optional.

Independent Public Offices- The house was divided on whether the Attorney General should be the chief prosecutor while some people felt that a prosecutor must be independent. Electoral Systems- The hybrid system was the most preferred as residents felt that there should be a mixture of the 1st past the post and proportional representation to achieve balance.

Matabeleland South

Attendance- The participation of the community of Matopo continues to be higher than other areas that have been covered by the outreach teams over the past month. A meeting held on Sunday had about 120 people. Sunday is a day of rest in Mat South. The team is expected to conclude Matopo on Wednesday and proceed to Mangwe. Some team members got lost along the way to the venue and came back to Bulawayo without holding any meeting.

Systems of government- Matopo is an area that is of mixed opinion due to the profound presence of all the major political parties. As such there was divided opinion over whether the country should have a unitary system of government or a devolved one.

Bill of Rights – There are a number of people who feel that the Bill of Rights does not speak to the aspirations of most Zimbabweans as basic tenets like Education and Health.