Ivan Zhakata recently in MBERENGWA
RESIDENTS of Mberengwa Central have welcomed an ongoing constitutional awareness campaign, stating it has equipped them with knowledge of their fundamental rights, including the right to privacy, and the country’s electoral processes.
The campaign, conducted by the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, aims to disseminate constitutional information to grassroots communities to ensure citizens understand their rights, freedoms, and responsibilities.
Speaking during the outreach, the Deputy Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Advocate Norbert Mazungunye, said the ministry is executing an information drive to ensure no community is excluded.
“We are here in Mberengwa, as the Ministry of Justice, where we are on a dissemination of information drive, and in particular, focusing much more on the Constitution,” Adv Mazungunye said. “So it is a constitutional awareness which we are doing here in Mberengwa and following the mantra of the President, that we do not have to leave anyone and no place behind.”
Adv Mazungunye added that taking constitutional information directly to communities is vital for ensuring citizens familiarise themselves with the supreme law of the land and fully appreciate their legal provisions. The campaign also seeks to promote informed civic participation in governance and strengthen public understanding of constitutional matters.
Local residents expressed gratitude for the decentralised outreach. Ms Simbisai Chipunza stated she was pleased to have gained direct knowledge of her rights, while Mr Tinos Godza noted the programme has enlightened the community on the importance of the right to personal privacy.
Another resident, Mr Elia Mbiriza, said he was grateful to receive a physical copy of the document.
“I am happy to have received the Constitution for the first time since 1980. I have also learnt about elections following Constitutional Amendment Act Number 3,” Mr Mbiriza said.
Zimbabwe’s Constitution, adopted in 2013, guarantees fundamental rights and freedoms under Chapter 4, which includes personal privacy protections. Furthermore, Section 7 of the Constitution explicitly obliges the State to promote public awareness of the supreme law by translating it into all officially recognised languages, ensuring wide dissemination, and embedding constitutional education within schools and public institutions.
The Mberengwa outreach forms part of these rolling provincial and district campaigns coordinated by the ministry’s Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs Department to bridge the gap between statutory provisions and public understanding.
