search | Bulawayo24 NEWS

This is just the beginning of a long journey

Zimbabwe’s new constitution has been signed into law. This is a great day for our nation as we crafted this document on our own as Zimbabweans without the supervision or interference of foreigners. It is a dramatic improvement on the Lancaster House constitution. Well done Zimbabwe. We are now ma...

Supreme Court begins complying with the new Constitution

The Supreme Court started complying with the country's new Constitution yesterday when nine judges, instead of the previous six, sat on the bench to deal with a case brought by an HIV and Aids activist.The previous constitution provided for only six judges to sit on the bench when the Supreme Court ...

Congratulations Zimbabwe on new constitution

ZUPA, the organisation that represents the interests of millions of economically disadvantaged Zimbabweans and primarily the unemployed is delighted beyond measure and now congratulate the Government of Zimbabwe, the Political formations in the Unity Government, the Parliamentary Committee (COPAC) a...

ANC congratulates Zimbabwe

The ANC congratulated Zimbabwe and its President Robert Mugabe on signing into law its new Constitution on Wednesday."The new constitution marks a significant milestone in the successful implementation of the global peace agreement and the democratic life of Zimbabwe," ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu ...

Mugabe's Full Speech: This is our day

This is the speech delivered by President Robert Mugabe at the occasion of signing the new Zimbabwe constitution on Wednesday 22 May 2013.Vice President Mai Mujuru, Prime Minister Cde Richard Morgan Tsvangirai, Deputy Prime Ministers Mutambara and Madam Khupe, Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mai...

New Zim constitution can usher in new culture of human rights

Zimbabwe's new constitution presents a golden opportunity for the country to break away from a culture of impunity for human rights violations, Amnesty International said today.President Robert Mugabe today signed into law a new constitution, following a three-year constitution-making process to rep...

New Constitution now law of the land; let's finish it Zimbabwe

President Robert Mugabe has signed the new Zimbabwe Constitution into law at State House this afternoon.Our theme for Round 17 of the Free Zimbabwe Global Campaign is "Let's Finish It", for obvious reasons.For the past sixteen months we have endured all kinds of weather in various places of the wor...

Mugabe has signed constitution into law

President Robert Mugabe signed the new Zimbabwe Constitution into law at State House this afternoon.The new document- approved by over 90 percent of Zimbabweans in a referendum held in March- replaces the 1980 Lancaster House Constitution that came out of negotiations at the country's independence...

Mugabe to sign new Constitution into law today

PRESIDENT Mugabe is today expected to sign Constitutional Amendment (No. 20) Bill into law at State House at a function to be attended by Principals to the Global Political Agreement.Presidential spokesperson Mr George Charamba confirmed the development yesterday."Once the signing is done, the docum...

Constitution awaits Mugabe's signature

Zimbabwe's upper house of parliament on Tuesday approved the country's new constitution, sending the document to President Robert Mugabe to sign into law.Seventy-five senators in the 94-seat senate approved the draft constitution in the capital Harare, a week after the house of assembly overwhelmin...

Constitutional Bill sails through Senate with amendments

SENATE yesterday passed the Constitutional Amendment (No. 20) Bill with minor amendments that will be considered by the House of Assembly today before it is sent to President Mugabe for his assent.The amendments were proposed by Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Eric Matinenga during...

House of Assembly unanimously passes Constitution Amendment Bill

The House of Assembly has unanimously passed the Constitution Amendment Bill Number 20 and it will now be taken to Senate for debate.The Lower House was action packed as legislators from across the political divide passed Constitutional Bill which is expected to usher in a new constitution of Zimbab...

Zimbabwe Constitution Bill sails through by majority vote

THE House of Assembly on Thursday passed the Constitution of Zimbabwe Bill by a two thirds majority.The Bill was passed by 156 MPs who were present in the chamber following muted debate, with the constitution having already been approved by 94 percent of voters in a public referendum on March 16.T...

Constitutional bill sails through the second reading stage

THE House of Assembly is today expected to pass the Constitutional Bill despite spirited attempts by MDC formations to delay its speedy passage.The Bill sailed through the Second Reading stage last night after several legislators made contributions to the debate. It is understood that the two MDC f...

MDC-T accused of stalling the Constitutional Bill

MDC-T has been accused of deliberately stalling debate on the Constitutional Bill as the party resorts to all manner of tricks to delay the impending harmonised elections.This followed Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Eric Matinenga's deferment of debate on the Bill to today contrar...

Inmate wants life imprisonment declared unconstitutional

While for some inmates in the country's overflowing prisons the clock ticks towards release day, for those condemned to life sentence there is no end in sight but death.Such anguish has prompted one such person, Khisimusi Ndlovu, who has been in prison since 1992, to approach the Supreme Court for r...

Tsvangirai's position to cease when a new govt is sworn in

The Prime Minister's position will remain unchanged even after President Mugabe appends his signature on the draft constitution.  Legal experts and Copac co-chairpersons this week dismissed assertions from some quarters that President Mugabe would not need to consult PM Morgan Tsvangirai on an...

Lawyer warns of looming constitutional crisis

Legal expert Chris Mhike has warned of a looming constitutional crisis if President Mugabe decides to extend the lifespan of the Executive beyond the 3-month limit provided for in the constitution. He said it would be illegal for vice-presidents, cabinet ministers and their deputies to continue carr...

Uproar over constitutional Bill

Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Eric Matinenga torched a storm over the weekend as it emerged that changes were made to the draft constitution which was gazetted last week. Legally no changes should be made to the draft and Matinenga is on record confirming this. Where any changes ...

Zimbabwe's Constitutional Bill to be debated on 7 May

The Constitutional Bill is expected to be tabled before parliament for debate on the 7th of May.As the constitution making process continues, before the final law is adopted, constitutional lawyer Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana says the process of introducing the Constitutional Bill to parliament has begu...

New constitution to allow aliens to vote

ZIMBABWEANS of foreign origin, whose voting rights were stripped more than a decade ago by the Zanu-PF government over suspicion they supported opposition politics, could have their rights restored if the draft constitution voted for in a referendum last Saturday is enacted into law.Thousands of ali...

With a new constitution, will Zim hold free and fair polls?

Harare - With a new constitution approved, Zimbabweans are now looking toward a fresh general election, while wondering whether the polls will be free and fair.The overwhelming nod for the charter at a weekend referendum raised much optimism for democratic changes in a country long regarded by the W...

Zimbabwe adopts new Constitution after a landslide 92.9% YES vote

Zimbabweans have approved a new constitution and puts the turbulent country a step closer to holding full elections in the next few months, the election commission said on Tuesday.The Copac draft constitution has been adopted as the new supreme law of the land by the people of Zimbabwe. A...

'Draft constitution not 100% perfect,' says Dr Tsvangirai

MDC-T leader and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has said a new constitution put to a national referendum Saturday can be amended to address reservations raised by groups insisting the country could have come up with a better supreme law.Tsvangirai told church leaders, at a meeting ahead of Saturd...

Zimbabwe votes in referendum on new constitution

Harare - Voting was underway in Zimbabwe on Saturday in a referendum on a new constitution, a crucial milestone in the political development of the crisis-weary African country.The new constitution grants more power to parliament and offers additional rights to women but would not hinder President R...

Govt confident draft Constitution will receive an overwhelming 'Yes' vote

Government is confident the draft Constitution will receive an overwhelming "Yes" vote as it has the support of all parties in the inclusive Government.Officially opening the 28th Session of the Zimbabwe/Zambia Joint Permanent Commission on Defence and Security in Victoria Falls today, State Securi...

3 500 final constitution drafts dispatched to Manicaland

ABOUT 3 500 copies of the final draft constitution were dispatched to Manicaland this week.The final draft constitution publicity campaign was launched by Senator Monica Mutsvangwa (Zanu-PF) and Senator Ceaphas Makuyana (MDC-T) as part of the Constitution Parliamentary Select Committee preparations ...

ZNLB unhappy with the proposed new Constitution

A Zimbabwe National League of the Blind official is unhappy with how the proposed new Constitution deals with people living with disabilities.ZNLB disability rights and advocacy officer Mr Abraham Mateta  said the draft does not contain provisions for self-representation of people  living ...

MDC-T's reasons to vote YES for the constitution

The Movement for Democratic Change led by Morgan Tsvangirai has made a decision to urge Zimbabweans to vote Yes in the forthcoming Referendum. Some of the reasons for this are as follows:1. There is devolution of power and responsibilities to lower tiers of government and especially to the provincia...

Constitution publicity campaign kicks off

THE publicity campaign for the new constitution will begin today with Copac deploying teams to districts countrywide to raise awareness among the general public on the contents of the proposed supreme law.Zimbabwe will hold the referendum on the draft constitution on 16 March and the three political...

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 traditi...

Biti to brief Harare East residents on referendum

Tendai Biti, the MDC-T Secretary General and Finance Minister, will on Saturday hold a meeting with the residents of his Harare East constituency to brief them about the referendum on the new Constitution.The meeting takes place at Kamfinsa Shopping Centre from 0800hrs to 1300hrs. The referendum is ...

'New charter no guarantee for free and fair elections'

The man in charge of leading the crafting of Zimbabwe's new constitution says a new bill of rights for the country alone is not enough to guarantee Zimbabwe a free and fair election.Eric Matinenga, Minister of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs told Radio VOP in an interview that though the le...

New constitution prohibits black land seizures

MDC-T Copac co-chair Douglas Mwonzora said the inclusive government has stepped up efforts to stop black-against-black land takeovers by providing in the draft constitution the compensation of all agricultural land acquired from any indigenous Zimbabweans by the government. Presenting the draft to P...

Tsvangirai speaks about the new constitution and elections

The constitution issue has always been on the MDC-T pro-democracy agenda and the party is thus happy that a document has been released, MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai has said.Tsvangirai was speaking during an engagement with members of the civic society concerning the draft constitution that has be...

June deadline for Constitution committee

Zimbabwe's principals have given the cabinet taskforce a June 29 deadline to align the new draft constitution with existing laws. A co-chairperson of a body writing the new constitution Priscilla Misihairambwi-Mushonga said the Zimbabwe constitution- making process has moved a gear up after endorsem...

ZAPU takes a qualified stand on the draft constitution

In the next few weeks Zimbabweans will be voting in a referendum on whether to accept or reject the draft of the new constitution adopted on 7th February 2013 by Parliament at the recommendation of the three signatory parties to the Global Political Agreement (GPA), namely Zanu-PF and the two forma...

Zimbabwe women escape hanging

A new Zimbabwe Constitution could keep two condemned women from a date with the hangman but could leave their victims' families still waiting for final justice.Zimbabwe's new draft constitution, which will be put to referendum in the next few months, exempts women, men under 21 at the time of the cr...

Senators OKs draft charter

The draft constitution has passed the final stage after senators adopted it in Harare this Thursday, paving the way for the principals to set a date for the holding of a referendum.Announcing the adoption of the draft constitution, Senate President Edna Madzongwe commended the spirit of maturity dem...

Draft constitution curbs President's powers

The draft constitution sailed through Parliament yesterday with MDC-T Copac co-chairperson Douglas Mwonzora saying if passed into law, legislators would be empowered to stop the President from unilaterally dissolving Parliament. Mwonzora told the House of Assembly that a Constitutional Court compris...

'Madhuku is grandstanding to mobilise money for his broke NCA'

National Constitutional Assembly chairman Professor Lovemore Madhuku's campaign for a "Vote No" to the draft constitution ahead of the forthcoming referendum is political grandstanding in an attempt to raise money for his bankrupt organisation, analysts have said.Addressing a conference on Tuesday, ...

Draft charter riles Tsholotsho's San people

THE San community in Tsholotsho is fuming over reference to their language as Koisan instead of Tshwao in the draft constitution, saying this showed they were not consulted during the outreach exercise.Koisan refers to an ethnic group, the community leaders have argued.Davy Ndlovu, the director of C...

Traditional chiefs unhappy with new Charter

Traditional leaders want to have an audience with President Robert Mugabe this week to discuss the contents of the new constitution, as they feel some of the clauses have made them powerless.It's unlikely the chiefs would be able to convince Mugabe to make changes to the charter, which would need th...

GPA principals are not Zimbabwe

The elitist constitutional breakthrough is far from answers to solve Zimbabwe's problems.While I appreciate the said constitutional breakthrough by the Global Political Agreement principals, I have reservations that the move was elitist. Zimbabweans spent more than three years collecting important ...

Shortage of funds will delay finalisation of constitution reform process

Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa says shortage of funds will delay the finalisation of constitutional reform process and elections, New Ziana reported.Chinamasa said today only about US$2 million out of US$80 million the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) needs to prepare for the constitutional...

Draft charter only recognise Zim citizenship by birth, descent and registration

THE draft constitution deal reached last month by President Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Industry and Commerce Minister Welshman Ncube could dominate proceedings in Parliament, which opens on Tuesday for its first session this year.A clash, however, looms between Mr Mugabe's Z...

Why I cannot endorse Zimbabwe's new constitution

We have all waited long for Zimbabwe's new constitution.  I wish to focus on a fundamental and principle part of this long and wordy document which, at 164 pages, stretches to the length of a short novel.[i] Before doing so, it is perhaps pertinent to quote James Madison, one of the American fo...

Zim draft constitution makes homosexuality criminal

THE draft constitution approved by Global Political Agreement (GPA) leaders and set to be tabled before Parliament on February 8 makes same-sex marriage a criminal offence, NewsDay revealed.Homosexuality had been one of the major issues that stalled the constitution-making process with President Rob...

Final draft Constitution of Zimbabwe

Distributed by the Parliamentary Monitoring Trust of Zimbabwe(www.pmtz.org|info@pmtz.org|pmtzimbabwe@twitter)CONSTITUTION OF ZIMBABWE(FINAL DRAFT : JANUARY 2013)CONSTITUTION OF ZIMBABWEARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONSPreamble.CHAPTER 1FOUNDING PROVISIONSSection1.  The Republic.2.  Supremacy of C...

Mugabe back stabs his military backers

President Robert Mugabe's mellowing and his concessions to democratic reforms have sent shivers down Zanu-PF officials and his military backers who fear he is capitulating and "has sold out".Stabbing his loyalists and military backers in the back, Mugabe accepted a raft of measures which in one st...