A Zanu (PF) Central Committee member told The Zimbabwean that the intricate strategy involves using the national statistical report relating to information gathered during the constitution-making outreach programme to whip up emotion at the conference, after which party activists would be deployed to cause mayhem.
Activists would be divided into two groups, one wearing Zanu (PF) T-shirts and the other wearing MDC-T and MDC-N regalia to make it appear as if the violence that would break out would be genuine intra-party chaos, he revealed.
“The thinking among hardliners is that we still have to negotiate the Copac draft. They don’t want the process to proceed without acceding to Zanu (PF)’s major demands,” said the source on condition of anonymity.
“Even though not all in Zanu (PF) agree with that strategy, it can be successful because sharp disagreements are bound to arise over how to treat the national report and the proposed draft.”
Bickering among political parties has already set the tone for confrontation ahead of the conference. Copac and both MDCs favour the position whereby the conference would be used as a feedback platform. But Zanu (PF) is insisting on a protracted discussion of the draft.
It wants the contents to be pitted against the national report, arguing that the former deviated from the fundamental views given by the people during the outreach programme, while the latter is an authentic reflection of the people’s wishes.
“The hardliners anticipate heated debate on the first day of the conference. Zanu (PF) will insist on comparing the draft and the national report, but the other parties will disagree. After that, the party will deploy youths to storm the venue and engage in acts of violence that will force the conveners (Copac) to call off deliberations. This will give the party the chance to call for further negotiations of the draft,” added the source.
The party’s National Chairman, Simon Khaya Moyo, has openly told supporters to go out and defend the party’s proposed amendments at the conference. Alert to possible violence, Copac has engaged the Zimbabwe Republic Police to tighten security at the conference.
The First All-Stakeholders’ conference held in Harare in 2009 was disrupted by Zanu (PF) activists who invaded the venue chanting party slogans, as police stood and watched.
Police spokesperson, Tadius Chibanda, said he was confident no violence would break out this time. “We are going to provide tight security because our duty is to protect the citizens,” he said.
Zanu (PF) National Commissar, Webster Shamu, when contacted for a comment on allegations that his party wanted to incite violence at the conference, said he did not talk to the media over the phone, and hung up.
Copac has reduced the number of delegates to the conference from an initial 2,000 to 1,100. Of these, 246 delegates will come from political parties, 284 from Parliament and 571 delegates from civil society civil society.
Post published in: News
Are they and everyone else involved aware that this is going to play havoc with World Tourism 2013 at the Victoria Falls? If so, it is apparent that no one gives a damn. Surely all the effort and hard work that is going ahead now into Tourism should be halted,in the interests of the Nation, and everyone’s energies focused instead on renegotiating the draft constitution and get this bug bear out of the way once and for all.
It could ricochet horribly during World Tourism if sense does not prevail now.
It would not harm to act like responsible adults and listen to them and actually discuss matters – after all these individuals are not kids and will also be signing up to Vote in the next Election.
This attitude of “do as I say and not as I do” reeks of Colonial Imperialist domination and we should try and break the mould and listen to one another. We would go so much further if we went hand-in-hand. I would be happy to be on the Negotiating Panel if they are short on numbers.