×
NewsDay

AMH is an independent media house free from political ties or outside influence. We have four newspapers: The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and Southern and NewsDay, our daily newspapers. Each has an online edition.

MDC-T dossier exposes Zanu PF

News
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirais MDC-T party last Friday submitted a report to United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay accusing Zanu PF of stalling the constitution-making process in order to manage its internal power struggles. Pillay was in the country to assess the human rights situation and warned against fresh elections without reforms. […]

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirais MDC-T party last Friday submitted a report to United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay accusing Zanu PF of stalling the constitution-making process in order to manage its internal power struggles.

Pillay was in the country to assess the human rights situation and warned against fresh elections without reforms.

The MDC-T said although Zanu PF had been making loud demands for fresh elections, the party was heavily divided on the way forward.

Although Zanu PF have been clamouring for elections this year, it is clear that its key structures are engaged in a debilitating and dysfunctional power struggle, reads part of the document.

That means that Zanu PF have now realised that they are not ready for elections.

The delay in conclusion of the constitutional process will hopefully lead to a delay in elections. The current antics in the constitution-making process are simply meant to delay it and give Zanu PF more breathing space.

Zanu PF and some sections of the military have started making determined efforts to derail this programme.

Among the methods employed to derail the programme was massive propaganda against the process channelled through the State media, unwarranted attacks on the donor community as well as intimidation of the Parliamentary Select Committee (Copac) members by some sections of the military, MDC-T said.

Zanu PF politiburo member Jonathan Moyo recently described the Copac leaders as a mafia and called for the disbandment of the drafting team.

The MDC-T added: Recently, Zanu PF brought to Copac what it termed its position paper in terms of which it seeks to drastically change not only agreed positions, but the views of the people.

The impression that Zanu PF has given in so doing is that it has not been involved in the production of the draft constitution. This is simply not true.

Having failed to influence the people of Zimbabwe via State media propaganda, Zanu PF is clear that the people of Zimbabwe will overwhelmingly vote for the draft constitution.

Therefore, it wants to create a deadlock in the process and prevent the production of the constitution. This way it blocks the referendum with the net result being that Zimbabweans will not make their own determination on whether they want the draft or not.

Zanu PF also wants to completely change the views of the people of Zimbabwe in the constitution.

This will lead to the people of Zimbabwe rebelling against the constitution during the referendum. Elections will then be held under the current constitution.

The MDC-T claimed Zanu PFs demands were meant to justify its push for elections under the old constitution. But Zanu PF secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa dismissed the accusations as mere wishful thinking.

Tell them that what they are saying is wishful thinking, it is absolutely untrue, we want elections yesterday, he said.

When the GPA (Global Political Agreement) was proposed, MDC said it wanted it to last 12 months and we at Zanu PF realistically said 36 months. The mediator (former South African president Thabo) Mbeki then said 24 months.

Twenty-four months was a compromise given by Mbeki where MDC just wanted 12 months. Now it has lasted more than what was agreed not because that is what Zanu PF wanted, but because Zanu PF wanted elections right from the beginning.

Let not MDC cry foul because there is no one in the country who can be fooled by them. So, we are saying let us go to elections tomorrow with or without the constitution. Let them hear from me that our house is very much in order.

[email protected]