Being
loyal
Zimbabwean
Citizens,
members
of
the
Zimbabwe
Diaspora
Initiative
across
the
globe
have
followed
developments
around
the
Zimbabwe
Constitutional
Amendment
Number
Three
Bill
(CAB3)
process
with
keen
interest.
We
have
watched
footage
of
the
process
at
the
public
hearings
organised
to
gather
evidence
as
part
of
the
process,
and
noted
how
all
the
presentations
made
in
the
first
two
days
of
the
process
point
to
the
need
for
a
referendum.
Presenters
supporting
the
amendments
have
said
they
want
the
term
of
office
of
the
President,
Parliament
and
Councillors
extended
to
enable
them
to
complete
projects
they
promised
to
deliver
during
their
election
campaign.
In
the
process,
they
have
confirmed
that
some
of
the
proposed
amendments
are
term
extension
amendments
as
defined
by
the
Constitution
of
Zimbabwe
and
require
a
referendum.
A term-limit
provision is
defined
in
the
Constitution
of
Zimbabwe
as
“a
provision
of
this
Constitution
which
limits the
length
of
time
that
a
person
may
hold
or
occupy
a
public
office”.
Subsection
7
of
Section
328
states
that Notwithstanding
any
other
provision
of
this
section,
an
amendment
to
a
term-limit
provision, the
effect
of
which
is
to extend
the
length
of
time that
a
person
may
hold
or
occupy
any
public
office,
does
not
apply
in
relation
to
any
person
who
held
or
occupied
that
office,
or
an
equivalent
office,
at
any
time
before
the
amendment.
The
need
for
a
referendum
was
confirmed
by
former
Attorney
General,
and
Zanu
PF
Politburo
Member
Comrade
Patrick
Chinamasa
to
correctly
interpret
the
constitution
before
the
current
process
got
into
motion.
We
have
noted
with
concern
footage
of
the
selective
selection
of
people
to
make
presentations,
with
people
speaking
against
CAB3
having
microphone
snatched
away
from
them.
We
have
seen
footage
of
people
being
threatened
by
other
participants
when
they
give
views
opposed
to
the
bill,
and
we
have
read
stories
of
people
who
spoke
against
the
bill
being
assaulted.
We
have
also
seen
footage
of
people
being
assaulted,
and
property
being
snatched
away
from
people
who
have
spoken
against
CAB3
before
the
hearings
by
rowdy
crowds
in
the
capital.
Footage
of
the
violent
manner
in
which
the
process
took
place
have
been
screened
on
South
African
Broadcasting
Corporation
and
other
regional
and
international
news
outlets.
The
police
who
we
expected
would
maintain
order
at
this
consultation
have
been
nowhere
to
be
seen
to
protect
the
speakers
and
those
being
assaulted,
both
inside
and
outside
the
venues.
We
have
also
noted
with
concern
the
limited
number
of
centres
available
for
people
to
air
their
views.
Very
few
people
have
had
access
to
the
venues,
hence
have
been
denied
their
democratic
right
to
express
themselves.
The
process
has
failed
to
meet
democratic
standards
where
people
are
allowed
to
freely
voice
their
opinion
without
being
interrupted
or
attacked.
Parliament
of
Zimbabwe
must
accept
that
errors
were
made
and
to
gain
credibility,
a
fresh
start
to
the
process
whose
framework
will
include
the
holding
of
a
referendum
is
the
way
forward.
With
Parliament
having
failed
to
manage
the
process,
we
strongly
recommend
the
involvement
of
the
Southern
Africa
Development
Community
(SADC)
in
guiding
the
process.
At
least
one
centre
should
be
provided
for
every
urban
constituency
where
travel
distance
is
short,
and
two
or
three
centres
must
be
provided
for
large
rural
constituencies
depending
on
size
and
travelling
distance
for
people
to
get
to
the
centres.
For
further
information
contact
Padmore
Kufa,
the
Zimbabwe
Diaspora
Vote
Initiative
Secretary
for
Information
and
Publicity
on
+61
414
477
659
Post
published
in:
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