Copac secures US$1,5m

fund the drafting of the new constitution that is set to start soon. Three drafters Justice  Moses Chinhengo, Ms Priscilla Madzonga and Mr Brian Desmond Crozier have been identified to draft the constitution.
Addressing journalists in Harare yesterday, Copac communications committee chairperson, Ms Jessie Majome, said the drafters would be supported by a drafting team whose names would be announced soon.
She said the drafting stage would take approximately 35 days after which a second all stakeholders conference would follow.
“The process we are embarking on at the moment is that of organising a team that will produce a national report. This national report will be the basis for the drafting stage and it will be forwarded to the drafters of the new constitution.
“Government and its partners have committed to fund the process and we are pleased to advise that the project board met on August 04 and approved the budget for drafting and we are comfortable in that area because we already have the funding in place,” she said.
Ms Majome, however, could not give the exact dates when the drafting would start.
She said they were working on a number of administrative issues.
She said the national report was a product of the compilation of ward, district and provincial reports.
“We are not in a position to give a precise date when we will start drafting because we are in the process of finalising some administrative issues.
“We estimate that once we start drafting, it will take us 35 days. Once the draft constitution is ready, it will be available in English and other vernacular languages. After the draft constitution, we will have a second all stakeholders’ conference after which the draft constitution will be taken to Parliament for debate and then we will have the referendum,” she said.
Copac deputy co-chairperson, Cde Monica Mutsvangwa, dismissed attempts by some members of the civic society who wanted to interfere with the process through what they termed observing the drafting stage.
Some members of the Zimbabwe Electoral Support Network had suggested that they wanted to observe the national report and drafting stages. Said Cde Mutsvangwa: “We obviously wanted your cooperation but the national report will obviously be taken to drafting stage and the draft constitution is the one that will be taken to the public for commenting.” Ms Majome added: “Drafting work is in progress and it is more or less an internal document. Drafting is a technical process where drafters will sit and go through the views that come forward.
“It will really be difficult to observe drafting in the same way you observe elections because elections are held in a public arena. We want to ensure that our drafters work in an environment that is conducive for them to concentrate.”