CAPE TOWN — A leading figure in the development of a new Zimbabwean constitution says Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s party will resist strongly any attempt by President Robert Mugabe to hijack the constitution-making process.
Report by All Africa
Douglas Mwonzora, Constitution Select Committee (Copac) co-chairperson and MDC-T spokesman, was speaking in Cape Town this week at a meeting organised by the Crisis Coalition of Zimbabwe, an umbrella grouping of Zimbabwean civil society organisations and the University of the Western Cape.
Mwonzora said Mugabe did not have “much of a role to play” in the constitution-making process as it was “a parliamentary process”.
He said that the Copac was driving the process through Parliament.
Now that it had been scrutinised at the Second All-Stakeholders’ Conference, the draft constitution was due to be taken to Parliament and then finally to a referendum — according to Article VI of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) which determines the process.
Mwonzora said Mugabe had no option, but to comply. If he failed to do so, the MDC-T “will do something under the guidance of the Southern African Development Community”.
Mwonzora did not specify what action his party would take.
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Mwonzora insisted the Zanu PF leader had no option, but to adhere to the dictates of the GPA.
Quoting Russian revolutionary Vladimir Ilyich Lenin Mwonzora said: “There is no prescribed method of struggle, every method will depend on the circumstances that exist at that time. Mugabe will comply.”
Opposition groups in Zimbabwe allege that Mugabe is trying to wrestle control of the constitution-making process from Copac by claiming that the inclusive government principals will have the final say.
This has prompted fears that such a move may be another attempt to smuggle in Zanu PF’s amendments, which were rejected earlier by both MDC formations.
The meeting was attended by MDC-T and MDC, as well as civil society groups from South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Zanu PF was invited, but did not attend.
