×
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.

Groups fear devolution: Mkhosi

Politics
Copac co-chair Edward Mkhosi has claimed that pressure groups which are lobbying for the rejection of the draft constitution are scared that devolution of power will rob them of employment.

CONSTITUTIONAL and Parliamentary Committee (Copac) co-chair Edward Mkhosi has claimed that pressure groups which are lobbying for the rejection of the draft constitution are scared that devolution of power will rob them of employment as their chances of getting jobs in other regions will be reduced.

Report by Nqobile Bhebhe

Mkhosi said fear of losing jobs was one of the top factors driving resistance to the draft constitution.

“It was not any easy task crafting the draft constitution. Some of my colleagues were against devolution and they are still against it. They ended up calling me ‘Mr Devolution’.

“Groups such as National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) fear that if the constitution is voted ‘Yes’ they will lose jobs they currently have,” said Mkhosi on Sunday at an MDC rally in Gwanda.

MDC has vowed that it will not drop its demands for devolution of power in the new constitution, saying the majority of Zimbabweans are struggling to access government services which are centralised in Harare.

Zanu PF initially resisted the inclusion of devolution of power in the new supreme law, arguing it will divide the country.

Efforts to get a comment from NCA chairman Lovemore Madhuku proved fruitless as his mobile phone went unanswered.

NCA filed an urgent High Court chamber application seeking to stop the referendum scheduled for March 16. The application by Madhuku followed an announcement by the three political leaders in the coalition government that they had agreed on the final version of the draft constitution.