Mugabe blasted over Constitution

Constitutional law experts and other interested parties have savaged Zanu-PF's plans to make far-reaching changes to Zimbabwe's new Constitution, barely two years after the country's supreme law was adopted.

Opposition parties also said this week that they suspected that President Robert Mugabe and the ruling party harboured ulterior motives despite claiming to mean well in their mooted plans to alter the Constitution.

This comes after Chinamasa blamed the new Constitution for the consequent drain on the fiscus, as the charter provides for 210 directly elected officials and 60 proportional representatives, as well as 80 senators in the Upper House.

The new charter also creates seven independent commissions under Chapter 12. But constitutional law expert Welshmen Ncube, slammed Zanu-PF's plan as ill-advised and he accused Mugabe's administration of misplace priorities, spending lavishly on Mugabe's birthday party and appointing a bloated cabinet.

Lovemore Madhuku said while he felt there were section of the Constitution that needed revisiting, such a process needed to be driven by the people.