ZBC attacks national constitution

The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) is running a series of programme completely discrediting the new Zimbabwean Constitution signed into law in May last year by President Robert Mugabe.

The state run institution is running programmes featuring ruling ZANU PF loyalists Tafataona Mahoso, Vimbai Chivaura and Isheunesu Mupepereki almost daily on national Television. The programmes African Pride and Zvavanhu run alternately at prime time broadcasting through out the week and have for the last few months been concentrating on heavily criticising the national constitution and tearing it to look like useless pieces of paper.

The trio in all their programmes describe the constitution as a product imperialism out to destroy the national sovereignty of the country. The highly educated professors, all but declare the constitution as a dangerous development for the country which was put into place by enemies of ruling ZANU PF party.

The new Zimbabwean Constitution was voted into law by over 90% majority of voters in a referendum that was conducted in March last year. All political parties in the then Government of National Unity ,ZANU PF included, were involved in the crafting of the constitution and lobbied citizens to give a YES vote to the constitution.

President Robert Mugabe signed the constitution into law in May of the same year amongst a huge cheer and support from all sectors of the ruling ZANU PF. ZANU PF organs and Members of Parliament have also taken turns to congratulate President Mugabe "for facilitating the making of the constitution.

In their discussions, the trio always portray a picture that the constitution was designed by people outside ZANU PF as they always refer to the makers of the constitution as "they" and ZANU PF as "us" without a clear distinction of who the "they" are. Precise calls for the effecting of the 266 amendments that were proposed on the draft constitution prior to the final stakeholders meeting to endorse the constitution have been made by the trio. At time they have even called for a complete removal of the constitution and calling on the ruling ZANU PF to re do the constitution on their own without consultation.

"You see we lobbied for the YES vote knowing that going to the election we will have the two thirds majority and make all the amendments we wanted in the constitution. Now that we are there it is imperative for our parliamentarians to start effecting those amendments," said Mahoso in one programme.

Section 7 of the constitution makes it mandatory for institutions like the ZBC to promote public awareness of the constitution. Section 2 compels the ZBC to compel to all the provisions of the constitution without deviation. It then leaves a constitutional challenge when the national broadcaster finds itself running programmes that completely destroy the constitution instead of teaching it.