Copac stops over Typists, as Zanu-PF recruits its functionaries and CIOs

HARARE - THE Parliamentary Select Committee (Copac) has grinded to a halt after rappotuers from the two MDC formations walked out of Committee Room 5 were they are working protesting the recruitment of 23 typists in the process, Bulwayo24.com exclusively reveals.

The rappotuers started work yesterday on a snail pace as they were still trying to work with the problematic template of capturing the reports.

Copac is supposed to be doing District, Provincial and National Narrative Reports of the Outreach process.

The typists, most of whom are said to be working for the Parliamentary Publication – The Harnsard (which has a reputation of having foul grammar, terrible spelling mistakes and distortions of facts) were engaged clandestinely by Copac without consulting the three political parties in the process.

Their duty, according to Copac staffer – Sikholiwe Fundira is to "assist the three rappotuers to type."

This has irked all the rappotuers who argue that they have been typing since 24 June 2010 when the process started and thus find fault in the "new recruits" who they accuse of being known Zanu PF functionaries and some of them members of the dreaded Central Intelligence Organisation.

"These typists work in Parliament and some ministries and we know they belong to Zanu PF, I for one know 17 of them who are certified CIOs and working with them in this process is an affront to the latter and spirit of the GPA which clearly states that this is a tripartite arrangement," said an MDC-T rappotuer.

The rappotuers are getting paid a heft US$150 per day whereas the allowances for the typists have keen kept a big secret by Copac.

Copac has been on and off because of shortage of resources and it still owes service providers and rappotuer for the outreach process. Surprisingly it till recruits more staffers to work that rappotuers can do.

Added another rappotuer from the MDC formation led by Professor Welshman Ncube who requested anonymity:

"It is now glaring that Zanu PF deployed people who do not know the difference between an iron and a laptop in this process thus their supporting of these trained moles and ruffians in their rank and file seeks to save their face from the obvious," she said.

The only available Copac co-chairperson – Edward Mhosi could not immediately comment on the matter as he was in marathon meetings with members of the select committee trying to get back the rappotuers to work.

Other Copac co-chairpersons- Douglas Mwonzora and Paul Mangwana are in Mozambique attending the Constitutional Conference.

COPAC – one of the "major deliverables" of the fragile Global Political Agreement commenced with a training workshop for Thematic Committee Teams at the Sheraton Hotel.

This follows the data capturing and collation of date which took place a month ago and training for Thematic Committee Rappotuers.

The Thematic Committee teams will have to discuss debate, collate and or disagree on views collected during the outreach process conducted nationwide in Zimbabwe, in the Diaspora, in Parliament and from several special interest groups.

COPAC has been operating in a chaotic fashion ever since its birth. The process was riddled with confusion and lack of knowledge on what was happening.

There was also no funding for it and this saw its members being chucked out of hotels and many service providers abandoned it.

From the thematic committee stage taking place with effect from today, the drafting committee will seat and after that a draft will be produced, which draft will be subject to a referendum. – After which elections will be held in Zimbabwe.