I have a subscription to a magazine called Monocle. In the December/January issue, the following piece of writing caught my eye. The suggestions are worth our “leaders” in Zimbabwe, and ourselves, reflecting on, and implementing.

Call me an optimist, but I believe we may have reached a time in history when our major expectation of leaders is that they talk to us intelligently, as adults. What this means is that information has to be provided to us in an honest, logical, non-manipulative manner, and then a course of action should be recommended based on the leader’s best reasoning – with a strong, inspirational appeal to our better human natures. The seriousness of the times demands serious dialogue. We need teachers, not demagogues, we need reason without apparent bias, and we need to be called to action by self-evident truths, not blind faith or what’s in the leader’s gut.
Excerpt from How to rule in 2009 by Paula Scher

Zimbabwe Peace Project Director Jestina Mukoko was granted bail yesterday, and released from police custody. She was abducted from her home on 3 December 2008, was missing for three weeks, and was later found in police custody. Mukoko has been in hospital, recovering from the police brutality she experienced. For the past three weeks she has been shackled to her hospital bed and under police guard. She will stay in hospital recovering, but no longer under police guard.

Eight MDC activists, who were also abducted in December, have also been granted bail, but six have not been released, because they cannot meet the challenging bail conditions. To be released they must show title deeds to USD 20,000 worth of property – but they have no property.

Roy Bennett, who was granted bail last week, remains in custody after the state invoked Section 121 to keep him inside. More than 20 other activists who were abducted last year remain missing or in police custody.

The National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) recently issued the following statement. There’s a lot in it that we Zimbabweans need to pay attention to . . .

Long before the establishment of the “All Inclusive Government”, the NCA proposed a 3 point-plan for the resolution of our political crisis.  The plan had the following aspects:

a) Establishment of a transitional government.
b) Writing a new, democratic and people-driven constitution.
c) Elections under a new constitution.

The NCA position is that the All Inclusive Government is a transitional government whose life span must not exceed 18 months.  It is the NCA’s view that this aspect, which is the assumption of the overwhelming majority of Zimbabweans, must be accepted by the All Inclusive Government itself.  We note that there are many in the All Inclusive Government who want to have this arrangement last for a five-year period.  Zimbabweans must not allow this.  The NCA will, therefore utilize its usual methods of campaigns to ensure that the All Inclusive Government arrangement is regarded by all as a transitional government that must pave way to new elections under a new, democratic and people-driven constitution.

The position that the All Inclusive Government is a transitional government with a limited duration is not just a matter of principle.  Our country requires a legitimate and effective government.  The events surrounding the first two weeks of the inclusive government show serious problems. For example:

a) Political detainees and women’s rights activists remain in unlawful custody.  At his inauguration, the Prime Minister promised their release within “a day or week”.  Not only did this not happen, but instead more people were arrested, including Roy Bennett.

b) The size of the government is bigger than what is provided for in the current constitution as amended by Amendment No. 19.  The size is unsustainable for our country.  Most of the international aid being sought by the All Inclusive Government will be used to finance this huge infrastructure.

c) The parties in the All Inclusive Government continue to quarrel over appointments such as those of Permanent Secretaries, Provincial Governors, and the Governor of the Reserve Bank and the Attorney General.

Does this country deserve a huge, ineffective and quarrelling administration?  For this reason, the NCA wishes to mobilize the people to remain alert to the transitional nature of this arrangement.

The NCA is clear that the constitution-making process contained in Article 6 of the GPA is not people-driven and is meant to impose the Kariba Constitution on the people of Zimbabwe.  The NCA has developed an alternative proposal of a genuine process which has been endorsed by the majority of civil society.  We take this opportunity to present this proposal to the public.  We will engage the all-inclusive government over this proposal with a view to ensuring that as a country we adapt a new democratic and people-driven constitution.

If the All-inclusive government insists on the Kariba process that will be enough evidence that they are not interested in a democratic and people-driven constitution.