As the nation gears up for a constitutional referendum, approximately seven in every ten people claim to have heard about the COPA process and 59% claim to be aware of the draft Constitution of Zimbabwe published in July 2012. The figure drops to 30% of adult Zimbabweans reported to have heard about the Second National All-Stakeholders’ Conference.

The Mass Public Opinion Institute revealed these results yesterday at a dissemination meeting on the State of the Economy and People’s Survival Strategies survey. The survey covered the period from 2009 to 2012 and had a national sample size of 1200 randomly selected participants, above 18 years of age.

Politics still dominate the economic turn-around of the country. The survey revealed that 16% of people interviewed think the Inclusive Government should seek external aid and create a more conducive environment for investment. According to public opinion, state organs and institutions were performing badly regarding the Global Peace Agreement. A majority (57%) of the respondents were not in favour of increasing the term of office for the Inclusive Government. The survey data shows the general impression that Zimbabweans will vote YES in the referendum but a substantial proportion said they do not know how they will vote since some claim not to have ever heard about the draft Constitution and the COPAC process.

Perceptions on the death penalty in Zimbabwe show a contrasting view to that published in the COPAC report. The MPOI survey shows 53 % of people interviewed to be in support of the abolishment of the death penalty. The support mainly came from female respondents.

On the issue of national elections this year, Zimbabweans of voting age feel the nation is ready to hold the election. Only a small portion (25%) disagrees as compared to 68% who are in favor of elections this year. Much emphasis on the need to engage international observers from SADC, EU and UN was suggested to ensure free and fair elections. The survey projected a closely fought race between ZANU PF and MDC-T with the latter still commanding a large support base in urban areas, especially among the male electorate.

On the economic state of the nation, 58% of the people interviewed felt that availability of consumer goods had become better over a period of one year but 59% of the urban respondents lamented the worsening employment crisis. The multi-currency system adopted by the nation continues to receive nationwide support with 68% supporting the dollarization of the economy.

The survey also noted high incidences of poverty as 61% of Zimbabweans indicated that they have sometimes gone without clean water, 62% say that they have not had enough to eat, and 70% lacking adequate medicine.

The source of income for many Zimbabweans is still agriculture with a few depending on a regular salary. Others have engaged in income generating activities like cross border trading.

Just in from a subscriber:

The draft by COPAC is a meticulous fulfillment of the old times saying, ”that people are not inherently good, people are ready to show their vicious nature when it works to their advantage”. The coming in of a new supreme law is a welcome gesture. A constitution is widely regarded as a legacy of the past, present and future generation. Ancient and contemporary democracies to a significant extent embrace the legacy of the supremacy of civilian rule, accountability, separation of powers, transparency, liberty, and equality. The COPAC draft depicts a sharp departure from the commonly agreed key lynchpins of democracy. It is silent on a number of critical and pertinent issues such as past atrocities and government misdemeanour that seek redress. Zimbabwe is an infant democracy thus it would have been more prudent for the charter to summon for the establishment of vibrant state institutions not prone to manipulation and susceptible to political instability. The discriminatory clauses with a case in point of the death penalty spell a bleak future and a mammoth task to the establishment of consistent judicial precedence. Reading through chapter 5 which purports to create an Executive authority sent shivers to the spine. History has it on record that supreme Executive authority has led to the weakening of state institutions through appointments. It also has a danger of perpetuating the denial syndrome by political leadership thus aggravating political, economic and social distress. Unilateral Executive power enhances dictatorial tendencies. It is tragic that the COPAC draft has given a green light to one man rule thus nullifying the belief in check and balances. The draft is silent on the retirement age of Executive authority. Very little attention has been given to the voting and electoral system which in the modern day Zimbabwe is the source of hope for political transition. This further derails hopes for free, fair and credible elections. How on earth can a state be run and advised by an unaccountable Attorney General? It is a question that continues to boggle thinking minds. To crown it all the statement ”… becomes effective and for ten years thereafter …” clearly indicate lack of seriousness in Zimbabwe’ political and legal development. Though the draft tried to address numerous issues, it leaves very very little to admire in terms of ensuring stable political, democratic development and upliftment of the legacy of civil rule supremacy.Thus the adoption of the COPAC draft has numerous ramifications nationally, regionally, sub-regionally and as far as continentally. What a tragic testimony of political expedience in the guise of law making.

Here’s a press release from COTRAD in Masvingo:

Masvingo – In the early hours of today around 2am Zimbabwe Election Support Network(ZESN)  offices were besieged by two Nissan Hard body trucks without number plates at their Hofmeyer Offices in Masvingo. Party of the contingent seized the security guard who is always manning the premises and tricked him that they were ZESN officials from Harare and were rushing to Chiredzi to implement a program.  The unidentified men did not break any window but used bolt cater to open the doors. The unidentified trucks likened to the Central Intelligent Organization confiscated One desk top which is usually used by the provincial ZESN Accountant and contains all the ZESN financial transactions, Eight Chairs and close to Sixty T-shirts from the office. COTRAD views this as the continued crackdown on NGOS and targeting ngos to do with election related programing.The investigation team that has been sent to cover the matter was heavily composed of the members of the Central Intelligence Organization some of them who also disrupted a ZESN meeting a fortnight ago at Nyuni Mountain Lodge.

Meanwhile in Gutu Central Constituency  a COTRAD activist Albert Musvosvo was on Sunday 16 February 2013 around 5pm  kidnapped and assaulted by Zanu PF youth militia led  by Mukotami who is the ward 17 chairperson for  Gutu Central Constituency. Musvosvo was assaulted for mobilizing a public meeting that was conducted by COTRAD in Gutu Central Constituency on Saturday 15 February 2013. Musvosvo lost two front teeth and was treated at Gutu Mission Hospital.

Matter was reported to Bhasera police base in Gutu Central Constituency.

The political environment is heating up in Masvingo, the involvement of security forces in the crackdown is a cause of concern and serve to point that elections in Zimbabwe will be marred by violence.

COTRAD INFORMATION DEPARTMENT

Whilst the Unity Government hand out copies of the draft Constitution, they arrest people for gathering to discuss it:

Zim distributes copies of draft constitution

Zimbabwe has begun to distribute copies of a new draft constitution — a key reform ahead of elections later this year.

But a citizen’s group said police had detained three activists meeting to discuss the text, which is due to be voted on next month.

“We are starting distribution today of 90 000 copies of the draft constitution in various languages as well as braille and audio versions,” said Jessie Majome on Monday, a spokesperson for the lawmakers who wrote the charter.

Police arrested three people at a meeting on the constitution process in the central town of Chegutu, according to the head of a group promoting citizen participation, the Centre for Community Development in Zimbabwe (CCDZ).

“They were charged with organising and holding an illegal meeting and they are now being held at Kadoma police station,” CCDZ director Phillip Pasirayi told Agence France Presse (AFP).

Police could not immediately confirm the arrests.

The new constitution is a key reform ahead of an election in July to end a shaky power-sharing government between veteran President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

Zimbabweans will vote on the charter, which notably limits presidential terms and reduces the president’s power, on March 16.

Monday’s edition of the state-owned Herald newspaper carried a pull-out copy of the draft constitution. – AFP

In my mind this is not only an entirely legitimate request, it’s also an essential one, that is, of course, if the Unity Government believes ‘the people’ count:

The National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) is filing an urgent High Court application this morning seeking an extension of the referendum date which was gazetted on Friday 15 February 2013. The government set the 16th of March 2013 for the conduct of the referendum were Zimbabweans will be asked to vote YES or NO for the draft constitution.

The NCA is seeking an extension of at least two months for the conduct of the referendum counting from the day gazetted by government. We strongly feel that Zimbabweans should be given adequate time to scrutinise the draft constitution and be allowed to make an informed decision on what they will be voting for.

We view this move to have the referendum on the 16th of March as a ploy by the parties in government to deny Zimbabweans a chance to scrutinise the flawed and undemocratic draft which they authored.

Further we wish to dismiss the ridiculous proclamations by the government that they will be distributing only 100 000 copies of the draft, and yet Zimbabwe has a population of more than 13 million people.

With all eyes and ears on the Constitutional Referendum this statement published today by ZESN is worth a read:

The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) notes that the referendum date has been penciled for 16 March 2013, a date which is literally in four weeks’ time. This raises serious concerns about citizens having a meaningful opportunity to learn about the draft constitution and to make an informed choice. The date also raises questions about the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) having sufficient time to organize a credible referendum consistent with laws of Zimbabwe as well as Southern African Development Community (SADC) and international principles and guidelines governing the conduct of democratic elections. The political decision to hold the referendum undermines the ability of the ZEC to enhance its capacity to conduct the election or strengthen its credibility with stakeholders and this might be a missed opportunity.

Further, ZESN is concerned that the referendum date was set before the draft was published in the government Gazette. In addition, citizens are yet to examine and study the draft as copies have not yet been availed to the public and plans for civic education by COPAC have not yet been implemented. ZESN also realizes that the proposed date will have the potential to disturb the already shortened school calendar given that most of the polling stations are normally located in schools and most teachers also serve as polling officials.

In addition ZESN notes that the announcement of the referendum date comes just 24 hours after the departure of the Chairperson of the ZEC Justice Simpson Mutambanengwe. In the past few years ZEC under the leadership of Justice Mutambanengwe has made strides in engaging stakeholders in a number of activities such as consultative meetings to strengthen synergies and relations. It is however sad to note that the time and energy that the institute and the government have invested in the Chairperson has been wasted particularly given that the resignation comes in an election year.

We urge that a new ZEC Chairperson be identified and approved expeditiously. According to the Electoral Amendment Act, 2012, Section 100B (1)(a) a chairperson is appointed by the President in consultation with the Judicial Service Commission and the Parliamentary Committee on Standing Rules and Orders. Further, subsection (2) stipulates that “The chairperson of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission must be a judge or former judge of the Supreme Court or the High Court, or a person qualified for appointment as such a judge.” ZESN hopes that this process results in the speedy appointment of a credible chair to steer the Commission.

The Network remains dedicated to the promotion of democratic elections in Zimbabwe. As such despite serious reservations ZESN will continue to watch the unfolding of the political developments in the country and provide independent non-partisan information on the electoral processes to the public, civil society, policy makers, political parties and electoral authorities. ZESN reiterates that Zimbabwe cannot afford to have anything but credible and legitimate elections as it transits from the Government of National Unity (GNU).