Just in from the International Socialist Organisation (ISO):

COPAC Draft Constitution

Vote No to this elitist Peace Charter and Politicians Gravy Train. Vanorovambwa vakaviga mupinyu

15 Reasons to Vote No!

1. It was not written by you the people but by four leaders of the GNU political parties.

2. It’s not democratic! 33 Years rule by one man is enough. It allows President Mugabe, 89, possibly to rule for another 10 years, when he will be 99! Zvanyanya… He must retire. Even the Pope has, at 85.

3. It does not provide funded and time-defined rights to: jobs, education, health, housing, water, food, electricity, public transport, rural development; disability; social security and empowerment. It does not provide basic rights but only progressive rights which are subject to claw-backs and availability of funds to the State but there are no provisions to enable the State to fund the declared rights.

4. It’s not democratic! It retains the imperial executive president: “President wemasimba ose.” President appoints all cabinet ministers and most senior state, military and judicial officials; can unilaterally change laws, dissolve parliament or declare war. Provides no age limit. Allows current judges and AG Tomana to stay in office without vetting. No real Devolution of power is provided for.

5. It does not guarantee free and fair elections! The same June 2008 generals and judges will control the election process! No right to vote for the Diaspora. No right to recall corrupt or ineffective councilors or MPs; No proportional representation of MPs; No quotas for workers, farmers, youths or war vets.

6. Is a politicians’ gravy train: has over 350 MPs, 2 vice presidents and an unlimited cabinet! It abolishes death penalty mainly for men over 70 years …who are these and why them alone? Abolish the Death Penalty for all! In 2011 it was the Zim 45 facing the death penalty for treason charges of watching the Egypt video, today it’s the GV 29 political prisoners…Free Maengahama and Ors… Drop the charges!

7. No compensation for victims of past genocides, Gukurahundi, state violence like June 2008 and Murambatsvina. No transitional justice and punishment for perpetrators of crimes against humanity.

8. Attacks workers: no living wage; no full right to strike; denies full collective bargaining for civil servants; prohibits civil servants and municipal workers from political activity; no protection of contract workers; no time limits for finalizing labour disputes;  no exclusive Labour Court.

9. Attacks youths and students: No right to jobs, public work programmes  or economic empowerment; no right to education, grants or loans; no youths quotas in parliament/councils; no right to abortion.

10.  Attacks women: no 50-50% quotas in jobs or all public offices; no economic empowerment; no social grants and social security right; no funded maternity pay/benefits for all women; no right to abortion.

11. Attacks vendors and informal sector: no right to trade or work without harassment; no economic empowerment; no social security benefits. Attacks and scapegoats minorities like gays and lesbians.

12. Does not give land to the landless or for housing or compensation to ex-farm workers but specially protects the chefs with many farms; and compensates ex-white and foreign western farmers.

13. Is preparation for another elite GNU after elections, bringing together Zanu PF and MDC politicians, bosses and imperialists to make money and accelerate their policies of capitalism,  ESAP and neo-liberalism against workers, youths, women, farmers and the poor ["Eat what you hunt"].

14. It totally defends the capitalist system and property of employers and the rich. No nationalization under workers’ and communities’ control of natural resources like diamonds, platinum, gold and major businesses to fund jobs, education, health, water, rural farmers etc. No empowerment or employee or community ownership schemes! It’s a constitution for politicians, employers and the rich: the 1% of plutocrats or elites, and not us the 99%, the ordinary people!

15. No more half-backed promises of change or the crumbs COPAC is offering just because of elections.  Politicians lie to get into power but once in office they forget the people and start looting.  The  COPAC Constitution will cost over $130million yet the SA one cost less than $30million! Like the Lancaster one, this COPAC Constitution will become permanent and enslave us and future generations. Politicians think they own the people, who will just blindly follow them … Stop them

Vote NO!  Capitalism Kills …. Socialism is Life!  Vote NO!

Contact the ISO: iso.zim@gmail.com

Some reflections from a Kubatana subscriber:

Fellow comrades, it is shameful that we watched helplessly as the politicians manipulated the  Zimbabwe constitutional process. But what could one have done taking into consideration the lessons learned in 2008 where a well known power hungry, octogenarian delayed and denied election results, and used violence to cling to power after being overwhelmingly defeated by people power. Is it that politicians can never be satisfied, that they will never say enough? Or is it that we are so blind to see how much ruin they can do to our lives if we just watch in silence.This month Mugabe will turn 89. My father was forced to retire at 65 by the very government ruled by an 89 year old man, just think of it comrade! The time to act is now. Lets register to vote in our numbers . It is our right to vote. It is one of our powerful voices to change things for the better. Dear comrade the future is in our hands.

Lessons and challenges from the coalition government of Zimbabwe and Kenya brought together civil society representatives from the two nations under the weeklong Utetezi exchange visit in Zimbabwe. Kenya’s civil society members are in Zimbabwe to share experiences particularly in areas of national healing and reconciliation, governments of national unity and the constitution making process. The similarities between the two nations are just too many to ignore as the social, political and economic challenges experienced by both nations depict a similar picture. The two nations were once colonised by Britain and they both inherited badly written constitutions, which failed to address marginalization and injustices perpetrated during the pre and post-colonial era. The failed promises of independence saw further marginalisation of people and alienation of fertile land as the political elite amended and manipulated the constitution for personal gain.

Political power is now being used as a gateway to riches as the majority continue to wallow in poverty.

One can easily describe these coalition governments currently running both nations as initiatives brought about not out of good faith, but out of frustration. Zimbabwe, just like Kenya shares the same history of rejected constitutions. In  2000 Zimbabwe passed a “NO” vote over a constitution, which they regarded as not people driven and the same happened in Kenya in 2005 when President Mwai Kibaki tried to fast track a constitution, which had no input from the people. The same debatable issue around executive powers of the president, land, devolution of power, accountability, the re-structuring of the political system, the rule of law characterise the constitution making history of the two nations.

The exchange visit also focused on the role of civil society in shaping political discourse. The recent crack down of dissenting voices in Zimbabwe, particularly the politicisation of the work of civil society indicates the growing concern over the urgent need for reforms. Zimbabwe’s civil society was urged not to lie dormant but take its rightful place in society.

The journey to national healing and reconciliation resulted in the formation of the Organ on National Healing in Zimbabwe and the adoption of the Human Rights Commission, which recently came under fire for lack of independence and capacity. One speaker said that “change is not an activity but a process”, the current transitional period, which Zimbabwe is currently going through, could be compared to the situation where Kenya was ten to fifteen years ago. A constitution can remain a piece of paper unless it is put to use to solve the social, political and economic problems facing the nation. And if the nation is to progress political leaders need to drop self-aspirations and question the status quo.

Pocket sized printed versions of the Constitution are distributed in Kenya.

Committee of the Peoples Charter (CPC) Press Statement on Proposed Government Exit Packages:

‘Say No to the Inclusive Government’s Politics of the Belly’

Issue Date: February 08 2013

The Committee of the Peoples Charter (CPC) is gravely disappointed with the departure lounge intentions of the inclusive government’s ministers and the current Parliament to award themselves ‘exit’ packages in the form of luxury vehicles and houses, as reported in the February 8-14 edition of the Zimbabwe Independent. Such an intention is grossly hypocritical as well as thoroughly unjustified and undeserved.

In a year where the country is facing a major drought as well as deplorable social services where there is lack of clean drinking water, affordable health care and a crisis in our education system, awarding these policy makers these ridiculous exit packages would be the height of political insensitivity.

These leaders would do well to be reminded that being in government is a service to the people of Zimbabwe and not a mechanism through which they must seek to enrich themselves.  Unfortunately this latest intention is only but the latest indication of the warped thinking that informs the inclusive government where and when it comes to matters of allowances and perks for its officials.

Against better advice, the inclusive government has over the last four years had a ridiculously high foreign travel bill, a penchant for purchasing luxury vehicles for ministers and their deputies while simultaneously claiming that the country has a mere US$217,00 in its bank account. That MPs and ministers now want ‘exit packages’  is akin to severance packages in a country where unemployment is reportedly as high as 80%, can only be viewed as a demonstration of utter contempt for the suffering of the ordinary people.

The CPC strongly advises the inclusive government and parliament to show contrition and sensitivity to the people that elected them into office by not seeking to loot the national purse for personal aggrandizement.

Zimbabwe is neither their personal tuck-shop nor theirs to treat as an ‘endgame takes all you can’ country.  Where the inclusive government decides to proceed with dishing out exit packages to itself, the CPC shall mobilize all Zimbabweans against such extravagance.

The agreed draft constitution by the three Zimbabwean political parties will be tabled in Parliament and after that the final say will come from the people in a referendum. The draft constitution took almost four years and nearly $100 million. Since the document had to be agreed upon by the three signatories to the Global Peace Agreement in the government of national unity a “YES” vote campaign is already under way. Most people would wonder why exactly they should vote “YES”.  Is it a YES vote to allow a no term limit for Members of Parliament or it is a YES vote to allow Parliament to add 60 more seats to the already resource straining House of Assembly? Our already poor performing Members of Parliament will have two jobs both in Parliament and Provincial Councils to replace the current system of provincial governors. A further analysis of the new draft by the National Constitutional Assembly will leave you wondering on why the Zimbabwean people are being forced to vote “YES” and settle for less when as a nation we can have more. Seems like the plot was already lost when the views of the people were discarded and politicians dominated the whole process. After four long years of resource grabbing, the nation’s supreme law had to be negotiated by politicians at the expense of the ordinary people. Is a “YES” vote the right way to go for the new constitution?

This a painful and sad reality to hear the Minister of Finance Hon. Tendai Biti saying after paying last month’s civil servants wage bill only $217 is left in the Zimbabwe state account. Some may ask whether the Minister is washing the nation’s dirty linen in the public. Or he is giving a service to the nation by being accountable and sharing the status of our bank balance. But to whose sympathy since it is also his responsibility to manage the economy? Ever since the Minister assumed the role of Minister of Finance he has been preaching the gospel of “only eating what you kill” but in a situation like this the big question is, where will the next kill come from? Proclamations of the mineral richness of our country should show up at times like these not to be seen globe trotting with begging bowl all the time.

Some may argue that the Minister is politicking instead of doing the job he is being paid to do. In a country awash with minerals to report only $217 in the state account literally means the country has individuals richer than the country who may need to bail out the government.