News / National
Biti launches tribal attacks against Zezurus
06 Aug 2012 at 13:32hrs | Views
MDC-T secretary-general Mr Tendai Biti has launched a tribal attack against Zezurus, saying the draft Constitution is meant to curtail their supposed dominance in the country's body politic. He said the draft Constitution would also curb the influence of people hailing from Zvimba, including President Mugabe, if Zimbabweans were to adopt the document.
He told journalists last week that the draft Constitution would also make it easy for gay rights activists to champion their rights.
"We are de-Zezurunising the State, let me put it clear, there is too much Zvimbanisation of this State . . . the first is that under this constitution all citizens are equal whether citizens by birth, by descent or by registration," he said.
Mr Biti said this while speaking on a clause in the draft Constitution on the appointment of persons to various bodies and commissions which requires that it be reflective of the ethnic make-up of the country.
He said he failed to pass Shona during his time in secondary school because it was taught in a dialect he did not understand.
"I was a brilliant student, but the reason I failed Shona is because it was taught in a language I did not understand," he said.
Mr Biti, however, tried to retract his statement later on saying: "I just used it as colour, don't confuse it with substance."
He said the Bill of Rights contained in Chapter 4 of the draft constitution was broader than the current constitution and said it gave political rights to every Zimbabwean, including gays, to fight for their rights.
"This Constitution says it's your right to campaign for your political cause whether chingochani (homosexuality) or wapusa wapusa," Mr Biti said.
He said citizenship had been redefined in the draft constitution to allow people to attain citizenship by birth, descent or registration and also provides for dual citizenship with regards to people who are citizens by birth or descent.
Mr Biti said the draft Constitution had done away with indigenisation as everyone would be treated equally.
"You will not find anywhere in the Constitution written indigenous, it (constitution) deals with everyone equally on the basis of citizenship," he said. Mr Biti said the constitution was clear that the authority to rule was the prerogative of Zimbabweans.
"The Constitution is premised on values (rule of law, human rights and freedom, diversity, equality of all, gender equality, good governance) and you will not find anywhere saying we went to war so we should rule," he said.
"The constitution makes it clear that the authority to rule comes from the people and not the barrel of the gun like some of us think."
MDC-T has since endorsed the draft constitution, which Zanu-PF says needs perfection before being presented to the people.
The other MDC formation led by Professor Welshman Ncube has provisionally endorsed the document.
He told journalists last week that the draft Constitution would also make it easy for gay rights activists to champion their rights.
"We are de-Zezurunising the State, let me put it clear, there is too much Zvimbanisation of this State . . . the first is that under this constitution all citizens are equal whether citizens by birth, by descent or by registration," he said.
Mr Biti said this while speaking on a clause in the draft Constitution on the appointment of persons to various bodies and commissions which requires that it be reflective of the ethnic make-up of the country.
He said he failed to pass Shona during his time in secondary school because it was taught in a dialect he did not understand.
"I was a brilliant student, but the reason I failed Shona is because it was taught in a language I did not understand," he said.
Mr Biti, however, tried to retract his statement later on saying: "I just used it as colour, don't confuse it with substance."
He said the Bill of Rights contained in Chapter 4 of the draft constitution was broader than the current constitution and said it gave political rights to every Zimbabwean, including gays, to fight for their rights.
He said citizenship had been redefined in the draft constitution to allow people to attain citizenship by birth, descent or registration and also provides for dual citizenship with regards to people who are citizens by birth or descent.
Mr Biti said the draft Constitution had done away with indigenisation as everyone would be treated equally.
"You will not find anywhere in the Constitution written indigenous, it (constitution) deals with everyone equally on the basis of citizenship," he said. Mr Biti said the constitution was clear that the authority to rule was the prerogative of Zimbabweans.
"The Constitution is premised on values (rule of law, human rights and freedom, diversity, equality of all, gender equality, good governance) and you will not find anywhere saying we went to war so we should rule," he said.
"The constitution makes it clear that the authority to rule comes from the people and not the barrel of the gun like some of us think."
MDC-T has since endorsed the draft constitution, which Zanu-PF says needs perfection before being presented to the people.
The other MDC formation led by Professor Welshman Ncube has provisionally endorsed the document.
Source - TH
