ZAPU president Dumiso Dabengwa told The Zimbabwean his party was demanding the immediate establishment of provincial and metropolitan councils as provided for in the new constitution.
ZAPU campaigned vigorously for the inclusion of devolution of power clause during the constitution-making process.
“Of major concern to ZAPU is the respect, promotion and protection of the fundamental human rights contained in the constitution that the people of Zimbabwe called for, wrote and adopted. The continued non-implementation of the clause on devolution of power to the provinces is an abdication by the government of its mandated role of running the country according to the provisions of the constitution,” said Dabengwa.
The former ZIPRA intelligence supremo also expressed concern over the non-implementation of electoral laws. “Electoral laws guiding the conduct of elections should be implemented to ensure that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission deals with the delimitation of constituency boundaries and registration of voters. This role of ZEC is clearly stated in the constitution and it is worrying that two years after the adoption of the constitution ZEC is still silent on its constitutional mandate,” he said.
The former Home Affairs Minister also accused the MDC Renewal team led by Tendai Biti of tempering with the party’s structures under the guise of the proposed grand Coalition of Democrats (CODE) talks.
“The renewal team has been on a recruitment drive in the provinces to drum up support during this period of CODE consultation. Reports received indicate that the renewal teams are informing people that our parties have merged under the renewal banner. They then form structures by misinforming our members. We condemn such acts of dishonesty and call on our partners to exercise self-restraint and negotiate in good faith,” said Dabengwa.
He distanced his party from all CODE activities saying the party would not be pushed into taking a rash decision. The Welshman Ncube led MDC and the Renewal team last month entered into an agreement to form an alliance under the CODE banner. The agreement is expected to be signed by the end of this month.
“ZAPU is not part of those merger talks between Ncube and Biti. While we wish them well in that endeavour, we will not be an active party to the signing of any agreement between them. Therefore we categorically state that those reports of ZAPU signing any agreement on 30 October were ill-informed and false,” said Dabengwa.
But he said his party was prepared to forge an electoral alliance with like–minded parties on condition they were committed to devolution of power, proportional representation and an end to an imperial presidency that militates against separation of power.
“We are prepared to start and conclude consultations on the modalities for such a united front that can mobilise voters on the agreed platform of core issues in time for the next elections. Such a united front would not need the dissolution of a member organisations or the fudging of their identities beyond the core principles on the basis of which they form the alliance,” he said.
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