Mugabe agrees to meet chiefs over draft Constitution

PRESIDENT Mugabe will soon meet representatives of Zimbabwe chiefs to discuss their concerns over some clauses on land in the draft Constitution.

The chiefs want the clauses to be rectified ahead of the referendum on the new Constitution.

The referendum has been set for 16 March this year.

The traditional leaders expressed their reservations towards the clauses during the just-ended Annual Chiefs' conference held in Masvingo.

The chiefs have however said they were committed to assisting in drumming up support for a "Yes" vote during the referendum.

President Mugabe pledged to meet the chiefs when he officially opened the conference on Friday last week.

"We should all support the new constitution as we go for the referendum and the draft constitution was a compromise document, which can be amended by a party that wins the elections.

"We are happy that our chiefs have also pledged their support for a Yes vote on the new constitution though they have some reservations on some issues and I will soon be meeting their representatives so that we can resolve the issues," President Mugabe said.

Zimbabwe Chiefs' Council president Chief Fortune Charumbira yesterday confirmed the scheduled meeting.

Chief Charumbira, however, refused to disclose the exact clauses they are not comfortable with in the draft constitution.

"We will meet President Mugabe very soon over some clauses on land in the draft constitution that we are not happy with and we are happy that President Mugabe has agreed to meet us very soon. I cannot disclose the clauses that we are not happy with at the moment, we want to meet the President first," he said.

Chief Charumbira said except for those few clauses, the chiefs were fully behind the draft constitution and would campaign for a Yes vote ahead of the referendum.