Speaking at the ongoing MDC-T debate series on the constitution and constitutionalism last week, Madhuku said even though Mugabe had killed and tortured his own people who he perceived as enemies, he had spared the MDC-T headquarters.
“You people (MDC-T) will need to thank Mugabe after he is dead. He has the power and means (to destroy Harvest House). He has killed, maimed, burnt and tortured lots of MDC supporters, but there is one thing that he could have done or can still do but he hasn’t done, that is bombing this building,” Madhuku said to applause.
Morgan Tsvangirai, who became Prime Minister in 2009, was part of the protest movement that mobilised people to vote No in a 2000 constitutional referendum, just after the formation of the MDC.
This rejection was seen as a direct defeat of Mugabe and his Zanu (PF) and was immediately followed by a violent land redistribution programme and the unleashing of soldiers on innocent civilians.
During the same period, unknown people bombed the printing press of the Daily News and the offices of a private radio station, while Tsvangirai and other prominent MDC figures were jailed for alleged treason, but the case later crumbled.
Turning to the constitution, Madhuku said Zanu (PF) had a warped understanding of constitutions and constitutionalism. He said the constitution was not only about power, as some people tended to think.
“If a constitution is only there to tell you who exercises what power…then there is no need to have one.Hitler had a crazy constitution that said Jews were not people and he went on to kill 6 million of them and in Zimbabwe we have one that says the fastest runner and most violent will get a white man’s land and you should produce a party card before voting for Mugabe,” Madhuku said.
Analysts say the disagreements between the involved parties, centred mostly on devolution of government, structure of government and citizenship, reflects a struggle over power control in the constitution. He said a constitution was supposed to protect the people rather than leaders’ powers. – Kingston Ndabatei
Post published in: News