| Co-chairpersons Paul Mangwana (Zanu-PF) and Douglas Mwonzora (MDC-T) |
I WAS growing up as Warren Park D was just tak-ing shape. There were two distinct sections, kumaBrigades and kumaStands. KumaBrigades referred to the area bordered by 166th and 150th
Streets whose four-roomed houses had been constructed by building brigades from the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, leaving the owner to ‘‘extend’’ the other three rooms. While kumaStands referred to the sections of the suburb where owners bought serviced stands to build houses of their choice this section
extends to the popular outdoor meeting place, KwaMereki.
I had several friends in the Stands section where I stayed with my brother. The talk those days was woe betide the prospective homeowner who fed his builders a good diet like bread and eggs, sadza and meat for they would take their time to finish the house when compared to those who were fed sadza and vegetables with nothing more than salt added.
I was reminded of this street wisdom as I heard reports that parties to the inclusive Government had issued yet another ultimatum to the Parliamentary Select Com-mittee to finalise the drafting of the envisaged new con-stitution.
This becomes an ultimatum of ultimata because ultimata were issued before, the days came to pass and the party continued at Copac with the three musketeers Munyaradzi Mangwana, Douglas Mwonzora and Edward Mkhosi showing a camaraderie that belies the stated divergence. Copac, a committee of parliamentarians that was mandated to spearhead the constitution-making process, has so far gobbled $45 million from an initial budget of $24million with nothing to show for it apart from scandalous drafts far removed from people’s views as captured in the national report, and ofcourse wider waistlines.
Its quite telling that whenever the Copac team reports a deadlock, they ‘‘retreat’’ to a resort either in the Nyanga or Vumba mountains, where they come out with distended tummies and even wider differences leaving many wondering at the purpose of such retreats that appear to be retreats from the national report.
Yet there shouldn’t be any deadlocks at all as all that Copac members are mandated to do is ensure that the drafters they hired translate the peoples’ views, as captured in the national report, into legal language.
Over the past three years, some Copac members have seen their lives dramatically transformed from the allowances they get for drifting from the people’s views. And as long as donors keep pouring in money, those at Copac will continue behaving like the proverbial builder who will take ages to lay the bricks on account
of good meals provided by his employer.
What then is the way forward since the envisaged new constitution is now being used as an excuse to prolong the life of the inclusive Government that to all and purposes was supposed to last no more than 24 months? An inclusive Government whose dysfunctionality is acknowledged across the board?
It appears the assumption here is that all parties in the inclusive Government are representing the interests of Zimbabweans in the constitution-making process. Zanu-PF, which is supposed to be the vanguard of the revolution, seems to have forgotten the MDC-T’s parentage. Mwonzora and those from his party are in Copac to safe-guard the interests of their western handlers and their kith and kin who were dispossessed of the means of production.
This explains why their positions are clear attacks on the founding pillars of the Zimbabwean State. The MDC-T has been trying to provide for the weakening of the security sector. It has been trying to provide for the reversal of the land reform programme contrary to what is in the National Report as appears in items 1,2 and 3 and page 9 of 10 on Land. Mwonzora and his team have been campaigning for dual citizenship to cater for ex-Rhodies scattered throughout the world, and trying to smuggle gay rights contrary to popular sentiment and cultural mores.
In short Copac has become the new frontier in the regime change drive. This is where the MDC-T hopes to address the so-called outstanding issues pursuant to abetting the regime change agenda. The constitution-making process is thus a throw-back to the Lancaster House constitutional conference with MDC-T playing
the Rhodesian Front advocate. We can not have a truly national constitution under such circumstances. What we will end up with, if ever it comes, is a compromise not consensus document.
The simple test, for any rational man, is the national report. If all parties to the inclusive Government genuinely represent the interests of Zimbabweans, the peoples’ views as captured in the national report should reign supreme. Under such circumstances there will be no impasse. The only way out, in my view, is going for elections and then the drafting of a constitution thereafter.
Streets whose four-roomed houses had been constructed by building brigades from the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, leaving the owner to ‘‘extend’’ the other three rooms. While kumaStands referred to the sections of the suburb where owners bought serviced stands to build houses of their choice this section
extends to the popular outdoor meeting place, KwaMereki.
I had several friends in the Stands section where I stayed with my brother. The talk those days was woe betide the prospective homeowner who fed his builders a good diet like bread and eggs, sadza and meat for they would take their time to finish the house when compared to those who were fed sadza and vegetables with nothing more than salt added.
I was reminded of this street wisdom as I heard reports that parties to the inclusive Government had issued yet another ultimatum to the Parliamentary Select Com-mittee to finalise the drafting of the envisaged new con-stitution.
This becomes an ultimatum of ultimata because ultimata were issued before, the days came to pass and the party continued at Copac with the three musketeers Munyaradzi Mangwana, Douglas Mwonzora and Edward Mkhosi showing a camaraderie that belies the stated divergence. Copac, a committee of parliamentarians that was mandated to spearhead the constitution-making process, has so far gobbled $45 million from an initial budget of $24million with nothing to show for it apart from scandalous drafts far removed from people’s views as captured in the national report, and ofcourse wider waistlines.
Its quite telling that whenever the Copac team reports a deadlock, they ‘‘retreat’’ to a resort either in the Nyanga or Vumba mountains, where they come out with distended tummies and even wider differences leaving many wondering at the purpose of such retreats that appear to be retreats from the national report.
Yet there shouldn’t be any deadlocks at all as all that Copac members are mandated to do is ensure that the drafters they hired translate the peoples’ views, as captured in the national report, into legal language.
Over the past three years, some Copac members have seen their lives dramatically transformed from the allowances they get for drifting from the people’s views. And as long as donors keep pouring in money, those at Copac will continue behaving like the proverbial builder who will take ages to lay the bricks on account
of good meals provided by his employer.
What then is the way forward since the envisaged new constitution is now being used as an excuse to prolong the life of the inclusive Government that to all and purposes was supposed to last no more than 24 months? An inclusive Government whose dysfunctionality is acknowledged across the board?
It appears the assumption here is that all parties in the inclusive Government are representing the interests of Zimbabweans in the constitution-making process. Zanu-PF, which is supposed to be the vanguard of the revolution, seems to have forgotten the MDC-T’s parentage. Mwonzora and those from his party are in Copac to safe-guard the interests of their western handlers and their kith and kin who were dispossessed of the means of production.
This explains why their positions are clear attacks on the founding pillars of the Zimbabwean State. The MDC-T has been trying to provide for the weakening of the security sector. It has been trying to provide for the reversal of the land reform programme contrary to what is in the National Report as appears in items 1,2 and 3 and page 9 of 10 on Land. Mwonzora and his team have been campaigning for dual citizenship to cater for ex-Rhodies scattered throughout the world, and trying to smuggle gay rights contrary to popular sentiment and cultural mores.
In short Copac has become the new frontier in the regime change drive. This is where the MDC-T hopes to address the so-called outstanding issues pursuant to abetting the regime change agenda. The constitution-making process is thus a throw-back to the Lancaster House constitutional conference with MDC-T playing
the Rhodesian Front advocate. We can not have a truly national constitution under such circumstances. What we will end up with, if ever it comes, is a compromise not consensus document.
The simple test, for any rational man, is the national report. If all parties to the inclusive Government genuinely represent the interests of Zimbabweans, the peoples’ views as captured in the national report should reign supreme. Under such circumstances there will be no impasse. The only way out, in my view, is going for elections and then the drafting of a constitution thereafter.
Meanwhile the party continues at Copac.
The builders are enjoying the banquet. And the band plays on!