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“We are continuing to look at the draft constitution on Friday. Cde Patrick Chinamasa is taking us through the chapters of the draft constitution. More details will come on Friday,” he said. Cde Gumbo said they did not discuss much on the draft constitution because some members of the Politburo were yet to receive the copy of the draft.
Copac produced the final draft constitution last week and handed it over to Parliament and Global Political Agreement principals.
Members of the Copac management committee finished reviewing the draft, which they handed over to the GPA principals last Wednesday.
However legal experts and political commentators expressed mixed views over the final draft.
Some believe the final draft deviated from what the people said while others felt it was a milestone that would advance Zimbabwe’s democratic systems. Political commentators criticised the final draft, saying members of the management committee compromised on sticking issues thereby effectively dismissing the people’s views in favour of their preferences.
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They accused copac management for producing a draft constitution that deviated from what people said on many fundamental issues.
Issues such as executive powers of the President, dual citizenship, the security services sector and land tenure, among other pertinent issues were cited.
Some legal experts felt that the draft was not fundamentally different from the current Constitution arguing that the President still retained his executive powers.
They also felt that the new draft favoured Zanu-PF as there were no significant changes.
Cde Gumbo said readmission of Cdes Shumba and Shiri followed their application to the party’s secretary for administration Cde Didymus Mutasa.
Cde Shumba comes from Masvingo province and is the Zanu-PF former chairman for Masvingo province while Cde Shiri is from Midlands.
Said Cde Gumbo: “Of importance was the readmission of Cde Shumba and Cde Shiri in the party. They filed their applications to the secretary for administration.
“The party agreed to their coming back as ordinary members. They will now go to the branch,” he said.
Cde Gumbo said Cde Shumba informed the party that he had disbanded his United People’s Party and his followers were now Zanu-PF members. He said the two comrades would not hold any official position in the party.
Cde Shumba was expelled from the party after attending an illegal meeting in Tsholotsho in December 2004.
He went on to form his UPP while Cde Shiri expelled himself from the Party when he stood as an independent candidate against the party’s candidate in the 2005 elections.
In 2008 Cde Shumba failed to contest as a Presidential candidate after he missed the nomination deadline.Cdes Shumba and Shiri’s readmission letters would go to their respective branches confirming their membership.
Online Reporter