Civic groups plot resistance

By Lance Guma
15 September 2005

On Saturday civic and pro democracy groups are meeting in Harare to plan a programme of resisting constitutional amendments pushed through by Zanu PF. Led by Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, National Constitutional Assembly, Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions and the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, the meeting is for all stakeholders to discuss constitutional matters and how to resist repressive laws that have already been passed.

On Wednesday government gazetted the Constitutional Amendment bill no. 17 which among other things has given Mugabe the power to nationalize all land, block court petitions in relation to acquired farms and seize passports belonging to opponents. Pedzisai Ruhanya a director with Crisis in Zimbabwe says civic society is going back to the pre-2000 constitutional referendum phase, where everyone came together to map the way forward.

Ruhanya said Zanu PF has been changing its political colour and shape and it was important for civic groups to be able to adapt to their changing strategies if they were to remain relevant. He added that apart from reflecting on their past failures the important thing for the group is to now renew the mandate of the NCA to drive forward a new constitution.

Everyone has been invited to Saturday’s meeting, even Zanu PF, despite the cheeky statement by Ruhanya that they will be represented by the police, notorious for disrupting such meetings.