The Parliamentary Select Committee (Copac) will meet on Thursday to come up with a plan of action and review the Constitution outreach meetings that have been taking place since June, Copac spokesperson and MDC Harare West MP, Hon. Jessie Majome The outreach meetings were mothballed last month after Zanu PF-sponsored violence stalled the public hearings in Harare and Chitungwiza as Zanu PF frantically tried to impose its moribund ideas onto the people and to socially engineer the outcome through intimidation, force and coercion. Majome said the meeting would come up with a plan of action and how to proceed with the abandoned Harare outreach meetings.
The Harare meetings were abandoned in September after Zanu PF bussed in people from the rural areas to disrupt the meetings. The disturbances led to the death of one MDC activist, Chrispen Mandizvidza at Mai Musodzi Hall in Mbare. At least 40 of these meetings were scuttled by the orgy of violence unleashed by Zanu PF militia.
Meanwhile, the High Court case in which an MDC Banket councillor, Emmanuel Chinanzvavana is suing the State for US$1, 2 million in damages for abduction and torture he suffered in 2008 has been postponed to November. The case was supposed to appear before Justice Ben Hlashwayo last week on Friday, but it failed to continue as the judges were attending a workshop outside Harare. This is the second time that the case is being postponed. On 1 October, Farai Mutamangira, who is representing the defendants, failed to turn up at the courts without giving reasons.
Chinanzvavana is demanding the damages from four Cabinet ministers, eight senior police, intelligence and prison officers who were responsible for the actions of the State agents, who abducted him on 3 November, 2008 and kept him in isolation until 23 December, 2008. Chinanzvavana was part of over 30 MDC and civil society activists including then two year old Nigel Mutemagawo who were abducted by State agents on terrorism charges.
Post published in: News