News / National
Zim Army On New Draft Constitution
09 May 2012 at 21:16hrs | Views
THE envisaged new Constitution should be a timeless document that safeguards Zimbabwe and its values and should not be used to introduce alien ideas, values and ethos inimical to the national interest, a senior army officer has said.
Addressing over 3000 2 Infantry Brigade troops in Mutoko on Tuesday, Army Chief of Staff Major General Martin Chedondo said the document being produced by Copac must endure for posterity.
"The Constitution, as the supreme law of the land, must be owned and must belong to the people.
"It must be timeless, meaning you do not make a Constitution in order to change it tomorrow.
"A Constitution must bind generations and of necessity must respect the values, ideals and ethos of a nation.
"It should not be a document, which is used to steam political manoeuvres.
"A Constitution should transform political party ideologies," he said.
Maj Gen Chedondo said if the draft Constitution failed to bring out people's views, it is going to be rejected and all the effort and resources invested in it would be useless.
"If the current draft Constitution is going to pass the yardstick of being Zimbabwean, it must never deviate from the people's views, which were collected during the outreach programme," he said.
"The same people who aired their views are the same people who are going to put the draft Constitution to the litmus test and see whether they can accept it or reject it.
"The technocrats are trying to bring in and popularise foreign ideas, values and ethos which were never the way Zimbabweans used to live and respect.
"This is our first Zimbabwean Constitution and it must clearly bring out the issues and values of such," he added.
"For me to be chief of staff today, it is not by my mighty power. Daily we are stepping on the blood of fallen heroes who fought tirelessly for this country," he said.
Legal experts, churches and political analysts have slammed the latest Copac draft saying it has numerous weaknesses that will have undesirable consequences for the nation if it is adopted as the country's supreme law.
Maj Gen Chedondo took a swipe at MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, describing him as an agent of imperialists seeking to effect illegal regime change in Zimbabwe by sanitising former Rhodesian forces and make them indigenous Zimbabweans.
"Tsvangirai and his cronies are being used by imperialists to change our Zimbabwe.
"We will never be shy to mention this because the truth must be known for the people to make right choices.
"We will never accept that white colonisers become indigenous Zimbabweans.
"You (troops) and me have a great job to safeguard our precious nation. When you leave this place, sing in your heart that our nation shall never be colonised again.
"You are all descendants "tuzukuru tweZanu-PF (union of PF Zapu and Zanu PF) because your parents are children of this revolutionary party, which made you go to school and brought a level political atmosphere that accepts elections," he said.
The infantry troops were in Mutoko for special training on new warfare skills and strategies.
Addressing over 3000 2 Infantry Brigade troops in Mutoko on Tuesday, Army Chief of Staff Major General Martin Chedondo said the document being produced by Copac must endure for posterity.
"The Constitution, as the supreme law of the land, must be owned and must belong to the people.
"It must be timeless, meaning you do not make a Constitution in order to change it tomorrow.
"A Constitution must bind generations and of necessity must respect the values, ideals and ethos of a nation.
"It should not be a document, which is used to steam political manoeuvres.
"A Constitution should transform political party ideologies," he said.
Maj Gen Chedondo said if the draft Constitution failed to bring out people's views, it is going to be rejected and all the effort and resources invested in it would be useless.
"If the current draft Constitution is going to pass the yardstick of being Zimbabwean, it must never deviate from the people's views, which were collected during the outreach programme," he said.
"The same people who aired their views are the same people who are going to put the draft Constitution to the litmus test and see whether they can accept it or reject it.
"This is our first Zimbabwean Constitution and it must clearly bring out the issues and values of such," he added.
"For me to be chief of staff today, it is not by my mighty power. Daily we are stepping on the blood of fallen heroes who fought tirelessly for this country," he said.
Legal experts, churches and political analysts have slammed the latest Copac draft saying it has numerous weaknesses that will have undesirable consequences for the nation if it is adopted as the country's supreme law.
Maj Gen Chedondo took a swipe at MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, describing him as an agent of imperialists seeking to effect illegal regime change in Zimbabwe by sanitising former Rhodesian forces and make them indigenous Zimbabweans.
"Tsvangirai and his cronies are being used by imperialists to change our Zimbabwe.
"We will never be shy to mention this because the truth must be known for the people to make right choices.
"We will never accept that white colonisers become indigenous Zimbabweans.
"You (troops) and me have a great job to safeguard our precious nation. When you leave this place, sing in your heart that our nation shall never be colonised again.
"You are all descendants "tuzukuru tweZanu-PF (union of PF Zapu and Zanu PF) because your parents are children of this revolutionary party, which made you go to school and brought a level political atmosphere that accepts elections," he said.
The infantry troops were in Mutoko for special training on new warfare skills and strategies.
Source - TH
