Published by the government of Zimbabwe
1 October 2009
Harare — THE three negotiators to the Global Political Agreement will co-chair the constitution-making organ's management committee in a new structure approved by the three principals.
This means the Parliament's select committee will now report to the management committee co-chaired by Justice and Legal Affairs Minister Patrick Chinamasa from Zanu-PF, Finance Minister Tendai Biti from MDC-T and Industry and Commerce Minister Welshman Ncube of MDC-M.
In the previous set up the select committee would report to Parliament's presiding officers.
Under the new set up the management committee would be the supreme policy making body followed by a steering committee with the select committee at the lower rung of the new structure.
A negotiator from each political party to the GPA has been seconded to co-chair the management committee that would be responsible for the formulation of the policy direction of the process, with the steering committee being the implementing arm.
Zanu-PF co-chairperson of the select committee, Cde Munyaradzi Mangwana confirmed the new development, saying they were briefed of the new changes on Tuesday by the negotiators and Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Eric Matinenga.
"There has been restructuring of the select committee. Instead of it reporting to the presiding officers of Parliament, that is, the Speaker of House of Assembly and President of Senate as was the case there is now a new reporting structure," said Cde Mangwana, who is also Chivi Central Member of House of Assembly.
"Principals to the GPA have agreed that there will be a new set up where representatives of the GPA, Cde Patrick Chinamasa from Zanu-PF, Mr Tendai Biti from MDC-T and Professor Welshman Ncube from MDC together with the three chairpersons of the select committee as well as the Minister of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs constitute the management committee to make all policy matters."
"Any deadlock will be dealt with by the management committee. Below it is the steering committee," said Cde Mangwana.
In addition to select committee co-chairpersons, the steering committee will comprise of former University of Science and Technology vice Chancellor, Professor Phineas Makhurane and Women's University Vice Chancellor, Dr Hope Sadza, said Cde Mangwana.
"Prof Makhurane and Dr Sadza would in the main, represent non-political parties or actors because the three co-chairpersons of the select committee mainly represent their political parties, so it was felt that we should also include those people who will be representing non-political parties," he said.
Another management meeting will be held where a roll out would be made on the outreach programs, said Cde Mangwana. An independent secretariat will also be set up to run the office of the select committee.
The select committee convened an all stakeholders' conference in July where it adopted 17 thematic committees. The convening of the first stakeholders' conference in July was the first stage of the constitution making process. The second stage is the outreach programmes where the 17 thematic committees would move around the country gathering views from people on what they want included in the constitution.
The third and final stage is the writing, subjecting the draft to the referendum before pushing it through Parliament.
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