THE new draft constitution will be compulsorily taught to security forces, civil servants and schools for Zimbabweans to thoroughly understand the new supreme law. REPORT BY VENERANDA LANGA SENIOR PARLIAMENTARY REPORTER
Copac co-chairman Douglas Mwonzora yesterday told NewsDay that it was imperative for security forces to understand the constitution for them to know their obligations.
Section 7 (b) of the new draft constitution reads: “Requiring this constitution to be taught in schools and as part of the curricula for the training of members of the security services, the civil service and members and employees of public institutions.”
Mwonzora said the aim was to make every Zimbabwean understand and appreciate their constitutional rights and obligations even if they were not trained as lawyers.
“In the first chapter of the constitution we have given the obligation that the constitution must be compulsorily taught in schools and institutions of higher learning as well as to security forces so that they get to know the rights of the people they serve,” Mwonzora said.
“It will be taught at various levels, primary, secondary schools to university level and will be simplified such that the ordinary teachers will be able to teach the constitution at each appropriate level,” he said.
He added that since the draft will be simplified, teachers will not need training as legal jargon will not be used. According to Mwonzora, compulsory lessons are set to begin as soon as the constitution is passed into law.
“Our thinking was that to have security forces that are ignorant of their obligations towards the people of Zimbabwe was not good. They will be ignorant of the human rights of individuals and therefore will abrogate those rights. Teaching them the new constitution is a way of dealing with their mindsets and making them safer to the people of Zimbabwe,” he added.
