By Blessing Vava
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| Obsessed with violence War veterans leader Joseph Chinotimba |
The postponement of the 2nd
All Stakeholders conference is a clear indication that all is not well with
Zimbabwe’s constitution making process which is proving difficult to come to
its fruition. Initially scheduled for the 4th to the 6th
of October, COPAC postponed the dates to the end of the same month citing
logistical problems. The postponement did not come as a surprise noting how the
process has delayed its completion, initially pegged at 18months, but
surprisingly dragging to 36 months. The delays, missed timelines, squabbles,
violence were as a result of political bickering and sharp differences that has
been the daily recipe in Zimbabwe’s political environment. The COPAC process
has failed the test of time and everything they touch turns to rust. But what
really is the importance of this 2nd All Stakeholders Conference? Is
it really worth it? Looking at the amount of resources needed to conduct the
process-$1.2million and the sharp differences existing between the parties in
government this is likely just another waste of money and it will likely turn
into a chaotic process, and this might signal the collapse of it.
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| War veterans disrupting the 1st Stakeholders meeting in 2009 |
Seemingly the conference is
proving to be another charade, a waste of money and time. Apart from fulfilling
Article VI (c) (iv) which says the draft Constitution shall be tabled within
three months of completion of the public consultation of the public
consultation to a second All Stakeholders Conference, it is not clear on what
ought to be done at the conference. Though COPAC representatives have been
quick to say that the Conference will not be a drafting conference, but that
the conference is to enable delegates to make comments and recommendations on
the COPAC draft for consideration before it is tabled in parliament. One
wonders its significance because it is the same three parties still driving the
process and again the ones to decide on what to do with the recommendations.
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| One-man organisation- FONGO 'President' Goodson Nguni |
Also, COPAC came out with the composition of the delegates
who are going to attend the conference. From the total number of delegates
1100, 280 will be Members of Parliament, GPA parties 246, (each party
nominating 82), the remainder 574 will be civil society. With such a breakdown
and composition it does not need a rocket scientist to tell you that there is
nothing ‘All’ Stakeholders about this conference, but rather a gathering of the
three political parties and their erstwhile friends disguised as civil
society. Other political parties have
been left out; ZANU Ndonga, MKD, MDC 99, ZAPU to mention but just a few, and again the
process is still in the hands of the three political parties. Never mind the
70% which they are claiming has been reserved for civil society. It still
remains the prerogative of the three political parties in GPA which make up
COPAC to choose which civil society groups are to attend the conference.
Obviously the two MDCs will choose their proxy civil society organisations,
which we all know as witnessed during the first stakeholders meeting, same with
ZANU PF which amongst its civics will be having names like Upfumi Kuvadiki, and
Goodson Nguni’s briefcase organisation Federation of Non Governmental
Organisations ( FONGO) and of course the notorious Chipangano and war veterans who
will start singing and are likely to spark violence.
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| Left in the cold-MKD President Dr Simba Makoni |
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| ZANU Ndonga insignia |
So there is absolutely nothing
new to expect from this conference, this gathering still remains a process being
controlled by the three political parties and continuously excluding the people.
The voices which will dominate are from these parties and also via their civil
society organisations, hence it is no secret that the process is as defective
as the draft itself which will not see the light of day come the referendum. As
said before, nothing much is going to change at this conference as it is only
for recommendations and comments. These are the same parties that crafted the draft;
the delegates who will come to the conference belong to the three political
parties, plus their ‘chosen’ civil society organisations. The same parties will
be the ones again to debate the same draft in parliament, and the same parties
may choose to adopt or ignore the recommendations from this all stakeholders
conference.
In a way this meeting is just meant to rubber
stamp the positions of the parties in the GNU, a position which will ultimately
carry the day. Many Zimbabweans are now tired of all this hide and seek game by
COPAC and the GNU, they have wasted enough time, enough resources, it is now the time Zimbabweans
should be given a choice to choose what they want through the holding of the
referendum so that we move forward. And talk of resources, COPAC should also tell the nation how they
used the monies allocated to them since the process started. There has been
noise about the national statistical report to be tabled at the conference, we
hope COPAC would be able to make a compilation of their financial report with a
detailed breakdown on how much they used since the process started to date.
Zimbabweans deserve to know how much and what was the money used for.
Blessing Vava is a blogger
from Chipinge. He can be contacted on blessingvava@gmail.com
