Confusion reigned yesterday at Copac with the three co-chairmen giving conflicting statements on whether the drafting process has been completed or not.
MDC-T co-chairman Douglas Mwonzora told NewsDay drafting of the new charter had been completed with a total of 18 chapters produced.
But, the other co-chairmen, Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana (Zanu PF) and Edward Mkhosi (MDC), said they had not yet seen the draft as of yesterday. Mwonzora said the draft was now in the process of being analysed by Copac members.
The three drafters Botswana High Court judge Justice Moses Chinhengo, and lawyers Priscilla Madzonga and Brian Crozier have finished drafting and have produced 18 chapters, said Mwonzora. We are now in the process of analysing the drafts as the Select Committee so that we give feedback to the drafters.
Mangwana differed with Mwonzora, saying they were still reviewing parts of the draft from the drafters, which the Select Committee would then scrutinise.
One can only say drafting is complete when the Select Committee has agreed on the draft, he said.
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Mkhosi said it was premature to say drafting had been completed, opting to say significant progress had been made.
The co-chairmen have not yet seen this draft and we were promised that it would be made available tomorrow (today). There are only four chapters that we have seen so far.
We must see all the chapters and then make a statement to the effect drafting has been completed, Mkhosi said. The three co-chairmen, however, all agreed that there were still outstanding matters to be dealt with and these included issues of provincial government, the death penalty and dual citizenship.
They said the outstanding issues would be forwarded to the Copac Management Committee on January 30 before they were brought back to the Select Committee and added onto the draft.
Mwonzora said the draft constitution would be made public when all parties are satisfied with it.
The draft can be made public in the sense that it will be published before the draft constitution is taken to the Second All-Stakeholders Conference. Members of the public can then comment on the draft before it is taken to the Second All Stakeholders Conference, he said.