Zimbabwe Times
April 12, 2009
By Raymond Maingire
HARARE – Zimbabwe’s unity government has set up a 25-member parliamentary
committee to spearhead the drafting of the country’s first post-independence
Constitution.
This is in line with a political agreement signed on September 15, 2008, by
Zanu-PF and the two Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) parties, which
prescribes the drafting of a new constitution within the first 18 months of
the formation of the unity government.
The political agreement stipulates that the establishment of the
parliamentary committee should be executed within the first two months of
the inception of the new government. April 13 is the deadline for such
exercise.
The next stage shall be the convening of the all-stakeholders conference
which should be within three months of the appointment of the Select
Committee. This should end on July 13, 2009.
From then, the team shall embark on a four month consultation process after
which the draft constitution shall be tabled to an all-stakeholders
conference not later than February 13, 2010.
The draft constitution and the accompanying report shall be tabled in
Parliament within a month of the second all stakeholders conference whose
deadline shall be March 13, 2010.
There shall be subsequent debate on the draft constitution and the
accompanying report concluded in Parliament within one month whose deadline
shall be April 13, 2010.
The draft constitution emerging from Parliament shall be gazetted before the
holding of a referendum which would be within three months of the conclusion
of the debate. This shall be done between the period between April 13 and
July 13, 2010.
If the draft constitution is approved by the referendum, it shall be
gazetted within one month of the date of the referendum, that is between
July 13 and August 13, 2010.
The draft constitution shall finally be introduced to Parliament not later
than one month after the expiration of the period of 30 days from the date
of its gazetting, that is October 12, 2010.
Currently, Zimbabwe is still using the Lancaster House Constitution
negotiated between the rebel Rhodesian government of Ian Smith and the two
liberation movements, Zanu-PF of Robert Mugabe and PF-Zapu led by the late
Joshua Nkomo. It was signed in December 1979 leading to independence on
April 18, 1980 and has since been amended a record 19 times.
The absence of a home grown constitution is seen as the cause of Zimbabwe’s
political paralysis that has seen the country grappling with the excesses of
a long serving executive president with multiple terms of office.
Addressing journalists at Parliament Sunday afternoon, the Speaker of the
House of Assembly, Lovemore Moyo appealed for donor funding to see through
the expensive process.
He said, “Let us all take this challenge head on and pool our resources
together for the good of Zimbabweans.
“It is my fervent hope that development agencies and other foreign
organisations will take as much interest, if not more, as they took in the
challenges that our country has been facing and contribute financial and
material resources in support of the work of the select committee.”
He however declined to attach a figure to the process saying Parliament was
still finalizing a budget for the select committee and its sub-committees.
The drafting of a new constitution is the first such process to be supported
by Zimbabwe’s two political rivals.
A 2000 draft constitution led by government was rejected by the Zimbabwean
electorate after a vigorous campaign for its rejection by the MDC and civic
society.
At its first meeting on Monday, March 30, 2009, the recently established
parliamentary committee on standing rules and orders resolved to select the
25 member select committee that will see Zanu-PF and MDC both contributing
nine of its parliamentarians to the committee.
The Arthur Mutambara-led MDC, the smaller of the two MDCs shall second three
of its members with the chiefs appointing one member.
The remaining three MPs were appointed by presiding officers.
Members selected into the committee include, Flora Buka (Zanu-PF); Senator
Fortune Charumbira, the President of the Chiefs Council; Amos Chibaya
(MDC-T); Walter Chidakwa (Zanu-PF); Senator David Coltart (MDC-M); Senator
Gladys Gombani Dube (MDC-T); Joram Gumbo (Zanu- PF) and Ian Kay (MDC-T).
The others are Martin Khumalo (Zanu-PF); Senator Dalumuzi Khumalo (MDC-M);
Cephas Makuyana (MDC-M); Paul Mangwana (Zanu-PF); Evelyn Masaiti (MDC-T);
Editor Matamisa (MDC-T); Senator Tambudzai Mohadi (Zanu-PF); Edward
Tsholotsho Mkhosi (MDC-M); Olivia Muchena (Zanu-PF); Senator Monica
Mutsvangwa (Zanu-PF); Douglas Mwonzora (MDC-T); Senator Jabulani Ndlovu
Ndlovu (MDC-T) and Brian Tshuma (MDC-T).
Those appointed by presiding officers are Senator Thokozani Mathuthu, Gift
Chimanikire and Jessie Majome