Utter butter

Bitter Biti knows better
Where his bread is buttered
What is uttered behind the shutters,
He should know, also matters

By God’s Grace

The one with a perforated face
Could soon have pride of place
If only the coming election
Escapes yet another condemnation
Here stands we, only by God’s Grace (wink)

I found this A6 flyer on the ground last night, produced by Zimbabwe’s Constitution Select Committee (COPAC). On the one side, it has 9 milestones towards a new Constitution for Zimbabwe, and on the other, a calendar for 2012 and COPAC’s contact details. Great way to spread the word and get more people to know how to reach you. And according to The Herald headline today “COPAC draft constitution complete,” they’ve gotten as far as milestone 6. But I do find it telling that they didn’t put any estimated dates by when the various milestones might be achieved this year . . . .

Here’s a press release from ZINASU.

I’d suggest that the GNU isn’t barking up the wrong tree. It is the Wrong tree and it’s Barking mad.

GNU Barking Up the Wrong Tree

The Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) is alarmed that political parties in the GNU have made an ill-advised decision to increase seats in parliament. Whilst there is need for gender equality in all government bodies, parties in the GNU are going about ensuring this in the wrong way.

Currently, the legislature is monolithic in comparison to the size of our country. To add sixty more seats will result in heavy drainage of financial resources that can be channeled towards education, health and other vital sectors.

According to plans for enlarging parliament, 60 female MPs will be seconded by political parties on a proportional representation basis in line with the number of seats the parties would have garnered in elections. This means that these sixty legislators will be MPs with no constituencies. Already the country has over thirty non-constituent MPs in Parliament appointed by the president and heads of political parties in the GNU; to then add sixty more to this number will result in a perversion of the purpose of parliament which is to represent citizens from various constituencies.

If political parties are serious about gender equality they should implement quotas for contesting parliamentary elections in their parties that promote the afore-mentioned notion.

If parties in the GNU persist on including this ill-thought and ill-fated arrangement in the draft constitution it is guaranteed that the latter is seriously going to be mobilized against during the referendum stage.

Noting the absurd and avaricious demands that are made by parliamentarians from time to time and being aware of the huge drain that the financial needs of the current Legislature effects on national coffers, there is no way that ZINASU, can in good conscience allow this plan to proceed.
If the afore-mentioned plan somehow contained provisions for introducing parliamentarians that have a definite capacity to better the quality of legislation and debate in parliament it would have been better.

For if truth be told our parliamentarians are known for propelling some of the most ridiculous arguments, which include among others, advocating for legalization of marijuana, attempting to legislate laws that ensure that women dress shabbily to lessen the preponderance of HIV/AIDS and arguing that men should take drugs that cause them to want less sex as a means of combating the afore-mentioned disease. Given this background, to then superfluously add more parliamentarians into the legislature without ensuring ways in which the quality of their contributions can be enhanced is highly retrogressive.

ZINASU

On June 26th traffic police stopped me for not obeying a Stop sign cnr East and Natal roads in Avondale. I suppose I ‘paused’ and proceeded in a safe manner but whatever … I’m not contesting that. However, two officers on the scene told me I had to pay there and then. The first said if I chose not to I would have to go to the station (Avondale) and be taken to court. The second, a superior, said they no longer issue tickets so if I did not pay on the spot (and be issued with a receipt) I would have to proceed to Avondale police station where a docket would be opened against me and the courts would decide whether to pursue me or not.

I’m confused. I refused to pay on the spot as I felt it was a violation of my rights and opted to go to Avondale police station where a third officer explained that they no longer allow you to pay within seven days as the public (“people like you” were his exact words) were abusing that option.

I just want to know is this true or not? If it’s true why hadn’t I heard anything about it until I found myself in that very uncomfortable situation? Is this common knowledge and I am simply uninformed? Also, can they just do that; revoke that option because it’s convenient for them?

- Kubatana subscriber in Harare

Comment: This is news to us – and according to this statement from the ZRP Public Relations Department in March 2012, it is untrue. Meanwhile, Chihuri reckons they’re trying to get rid of the corruption in ZRP. So when did it become a legal requirement to move around with money on you? The police assume that if you drive a car, you have money in your pocket. Have you had similar experience? Please share it with us and tell us what you think needs to be done: info [at] kubatana [dot] net

In an interview which was published in the Sunday Mail dated 01- 07 July 2012 the Minister of Finance, Tendai Biti was quoted saying that violence lead to the splitting of the Anglican Church. I would agree with the Minister if he were trying to say a well-known bishop used violence to remove Anglicans from their premises. The renegade Bishop who is now dabbling in politics is on a looting and invasion spree and violence has been his most powerful tool throughout the campaign. The Honorable should have asked for the correct position from the church, probably he could have given a better comment. Anglicans are peace loving and God fearing people and I am sure by trying to associate the Anglican Church with violence really does give a wrong impression of the real events. Since the Minister is part of the Inclusive Government, people expect him to give the correct picture of the Anglican saga.