More independent monitors of the controversial constitutional outreach programme now face official arrest, after being threatened to keep away from the process by the heads of the programme.
The two co-chairpersons of the constitution-making process Paul Munyaradzi Mangwana of ZANU PF and Douglas Mwonzora of the MDC-T, on Sunday gave permission for the police to arrest the monitors, who they say are interfering in the process and are peddling lies. It is feared that many others could disappear into the clutches of the police following this command.
According to our correspondent, Simon Muchemwa, a team of monitors were arrested Thursday in Mutare and others previously in Mashonaland West. Three of them were recently reported to have been abducted by ZANU PF supporters and taken to a farm in the Makonde district of Mashonaland West where they were beaten. In most of the cases the police have failed to act to prevent the intimidation and attacks
The presence of the independent monitors from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) is seen as essential for the chaotic process which has so far been marred by reports of violence.
There have been widespread incidences of violence and intimidation since the launch of the constitutional outreach program on last month. The deputy organising secretary of the MDC-T, Morgan Komichi, recently said reports from around the country point to a ZANU PF led orgy of violence that includes assault, intimidation, threats and damage to private property. He said ZANU PF was getting jittery and it showed it was aware it had lost support.
There are around 420 monitors on the ground to shadow the process. The NGOs behind them include the Zimbabwe Peace Project, the Zimbabwe Election Support Network and the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights. Another group, ZimRights has already condemned the continued harassment of human rights activists in their line of duty.
The abuse of these monitors will also not help matters for the Zimbabwean government internationally. A government delegation recently visited Brussels to meet with the European Union on Friday. It is understood they were told to stop harassing human rights activists and stop government-led waves of violence, if they are to move forward.
Analysts on Sunday also indicated that controversial developments such as the launch of the constitution-making outreach programme, were causing the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange to continue to decline.
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420 people observing the process for the new constitution is a bit too much! NGO in this case should be limited. I support the monitoring but 420! many be too much. Too much of anything is bad! UK NGO's should be sent home...UK is part of the problem and not the solution.
Phiri, that's less then one monitor per meeting! Why do you say that's too much? Besides, all of the monitors are all local Zimbos, not Brits. They're there because they care about their own country's future. Why shouldn't they observe whether ZANU-PF lets the people speak for themselves? It's not as if the monitors are telling people what to say --- unlike ZANU-PF, the Chiefs and the war vets who threaten violence if anyone wants anything other then the Kariba draft.
Phiri, you're right!! But please tell me since the dawn of history in Africa, has Britain ever being part of solving Africa problems, NEVER; She has always been part of exergerating and deepening the problems. Britain do this because their main reason is greed and exploitation - which's the beauty and fancy of their culture. They do always like to be dominant other cultures in another man's country. I am really sadden why Africans and Africa keep giving them chances to behave as such irrogant and dirty whenever the interfare into any African sovereign country policies.
Phiri, think about it this way; if there's less then one independent monitor at each meeting to simply watch the proceedings, how does that compare to several CIO thugs at each meeting to threaten people not to speak? Is that fair or too much of something?