MDC president Welshman Ncube has attacked Tsholotsho North MP Jonathan Moyo for opposing devolution of power in the new constitution, saying he is going against popular sentiments in Matabeleland.
Moyo has been in the forefront of criticising the draft constitution produced by Parliament’s Constitution Select Committee (Copac) claiming ordinary people’s views were ignored.
Zanu PF has not made its position on the draft clear amid indications some hawks in the party want the document thrown out.
Ncube, whose party has already endorsed the draft, told a weekend rally at St Joseph’s in Matobo that Moyo was fighting hard for President Robert Mugabe to retain his excessive powers in the new constitution.
“We agreed to have devolution that would restore power back to Parliament, but Zanu PF, through Mugabe, says that would divide the country into pieces,” he said.
“We also agreed to remove some of the powers from the President and back to Parliament and the courts, but some of the people from here (Matabeleland) are against it.
“They are the ones on the forefront, people like Jonathan Moyo. Why do you want to have one person retaining so much power?”
The Zanu PF politburo member says one of the reasons the new constitution must be rejected was because it sought to clip the President’s powers.
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“It strips the Executive of all powers and leaves it as a clerical branch of government,” Moyo claimed last week.
“This draft is an attack, quite a serious attack, on our sovereignty, quite a serious attack on our democracy,” Moyo was quoted as saying. The draft constitution proposes two-term limits of five years each for the President.
Mugabe has been in power since independence in 1980 and wants to run for another term. “Zimbabwe is not for Mugabe and Zanu PF, but for every citizen,” Ncube said.
“We want the referendum on the constitution soon. Zanu PF can go out and campaign for a ‘No’ vote, but we will campaign for a ‘Yes’ vote.”
