The association has also, through its ward structures, prepared positions that will be submitted to Copac during these meetings.
Bulawayo youths complain of being sidelined
Bulawayo youths have passed complaints saying that they are being sidelined in the constitution making process. They have accused politicians of seeking the assistance of the youths only when they need to gain political mileage yet they neglect them at a crucial time like this one. In the past years Zimbabwean youths have been used to perpetuate violence coercing residents to support certain political parties. The youths have said that it is of paramount importance to raise awareness on certain matters of interest that are specific to the youth. Some of the significant issues are those to do with capital punishment, free and compulsory education, affordability as well as accessibility of passports to name a few. Without the youth themselves contributing directly to the present exercise, their interests will go by the board.
MCSC conducts informative road shows
From Monday 13 to Wednesday 15 September 2010 the Matabeleland Civic Society Consortium (MCSC) conducted road shows across Bulawayos 29 wards. These road shows were aimed at raising awareness on the constitution making process and also informing the various wards of when the COPAC teams will visit their respective wards. The awareness process took the form of a road show so as to attract the attention of masses while at the same time being mobile reaching a large spectrum in a short space of time. During the road shows the consortium as a whole and the partnering organisations as individuals took the opportunity to distribute information material educating the people on constitutional issues and how best to raise them at the COPAC outreach meetings.
Bulawayo residents see a need to repeal policies that oppress women
Bulawayo residents have noted with concern that there are laws and other regulations that need to be repealed as a matter of urgency seeing as how these policies undermine and oppress women. Most regulations were formulated under a patriarchal and male dominated society and did not cater for the needs of women. Some of these laws still exist to date and are one of the major reasons why women are downtrodden and not effectively empowered. BPRA and ZWALA will, together, hold meetings whose main thrust is to inform and educate women about these discriminatory policies and engage them in forging a way forwards towards repealing them. Through these platforms it is envisaged that women will look into regulations such as inheritance laws, property rights and acquisition of identity documents and other such issues that are pertinent to women.
BPRA has launched a translated version of the Residents Forum news bulletin. The association has taken up the initiative of issuing the bulletin written in Ndebele so as to reach out to residents and articulate issues in one of the vernacular languages that residents are familiar with.
Post published in: Politics