ZZICOMP Constitution Monitoring report launch
ZZICOMP (ZESN, ZPP and ZLHR Independent Constitution Monitoring Project), a collaborative project between ZESN, ZLHR and ZPP, launched their ‘Final Report: Shadowing the Constitution Outreach Process’. ZZICOMP’s goal is to monitor, observe and report on the work of the Constitution Parliamentary Select Committee (COPAC), the public outreach programme, the work of the Thematic Committees and the Drafting Committee, and the final document produced in order to adjudge how democratic and the transparent the constitution making process is and if it accurately reflects the input of broad and diverse popular participation.
420 mobile monitors who were accredited by COPAC observed 4 533 outreach meetings in the 210 constituencies of the country. The monitors and recorded the proceedings including the atmosphere, pre-meeting events and the view expressed by citizens. The observers reported the efforts made by COPAC teams to remain impartial in the process; however they also observed coaching of the public by political parties. The mobile monitors also reported incidence of violence and intimidation especially in the Mashonaland provinces.
Among the findings in the report:
-There was equal participation in the constitution making process by both men and women
-By the end of the programme a cumulative total of 716 340 participants had been recorded with monthly attendances of 7% in June, 21% in July, 28% in August, 42% in September and 2% in October
-Adults accounted for 79% of the total number of participants
-There was a disturbing dearth of information about the outreach programme in most rural communities. The lack of information was worsened by COPACs tendency to rely on urban-based media to communicate to the public
-Political interference in the COPAC process was omnipresent accounting for 28% of the total number of violations. Observers noted the most common techniques being: chanting of political slogans, singing of political songs, bussing in of participants, organising participants along party lines, using opening prayers to express party positions on the constitution.
-State media coverage on the outreach consultations remained heavily partisan and skewed towards one political party, ZANU PF.
In the report’s conclusion ZZICOMP noted that:
the operational framework for constitutional outreach consultations was inhospitable to open debate. At most meetings in both rural and urban areas, debate was generally subdued, with the outreach process under the control of various political parties. Although MDC-T presence was visible at most venues, overall, ZANU PF appeared to be more dominant and even dictated the content of most proposals.