National Association
of Youth Organizations Statement on the Public Hearings for the Portfolio
Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs for the Constitution of
Zimbabwe Amendment No.2 Bill (H.B. 23, 2019), HARARE, 10 June 2020
The National Association of Youth
Organizations (NAYO Africa) is a Youth Umbrella Body for youth organizations
working in Zimbabwe. Its vision is to see a repositioned, redefined and
enhanced role of youth in community and national, regional and international
developmental processes.
RECALLING the Parliaments
role to ‘protect the Constitution and promote democratic governance in Zimbabwe’
and the powers of Parliament to ensure that ‘provisions of the Constitution are
upheld by the State and all institutions and agencies of Government at every
level and act constitutionally and in the national interest’;
BEARING IN MIND the rights of the
youth ‘to have opportunities to associate and to be represented and participate
in political, social, economic and other spheres of life’ and every Zimbabwean
citizens right ‘to participate, individually or collectively, in gatherings or
groups or in any manner, in peaceful activities to influence, challenge or
support the policies of the Government or any political or whatever cause’;
NOTING WITH
CONCERN the
publication of the Consultation dates for the Constitution of Zimbabwe
Amendment No.2 Bill (H.B. 23, 2019) and the timing thereof to hold the Public
hearings when the country is under an indefinite National Lockdown to curb the
spread of COVID-19 with serious restrictions on the exercise of freedoms to
association, assembly and the movement by citizens currently in place;
PERTURBED by the long term
adverse implications thereof of the proposed amendments to foundational values
and principles of the Constitution, transparency, good governance,
accountability, fiscal probity, principles of good administration and separation
of powers in Zimbabwe;
REAFFIRMING the Government’s
commitment to act in the ‘National interest’ we thus make an urgent plea for:
·
The Parliament to postpone the holding of the Public Hearings on
the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment No.2 Bill (H.B. 23, 2019) until the
lifting of the National Lockdown imposed to control the spread of COVID-19. The
magnitude of the proposed amendments require for citizens to fully exercise their
rights to association, assembly and expression in formations of their choice to
enable informed and proactive citizen participation;
·
The Parliament to consider central venues for holding the public
consultations accessible to the majority of citizens including for persons with
Disabilities (PWDs), youth and women within each respective province to ease
participation by interested citizens. The current list of selected venues disenfranchises
citizens within urban centers especially – there is thus a need to ensure the
inclusive participation of all interested citizens;
·
The Government of Zimbabwe to focus on enhancing efforts to
suppress community transmission given the rise in local transmissions through
context-appropriate infection prevention and control measures and towards Economic
Recovery by creating Post COVID-19 Pathways for return to normalcy as opposed
to Constitutional Reforms which have no urgency to the immediate livelihoods,
welfare and posterity of Zimbabweans;
·
The Parliament of Zimbabwe to act in the National interest of
citizens and respect the dictates within the Constitution that provide for the
participation of citizens especially section 67 which provides for rights of
citizens ‘to participate, individually or collectively, in gatherings or groups
or in any manner, in peaceful activities to influence, challenge or support the
policies of the Government or any political or whatever cause’ – proceeding
with the Public Hearings infringes civic and political rights of citizens;
·
The Parliament of Zimbabwe to suspend all Parliamentary processes
that require Parliament to go in public places in conforming to the measures
set by the Government under the National Lockdown.
·
The Parliament of Zimbabwe to recognize the role played by Civil
Society Organizations as interlocutors between the State and Citizens and its
complimentary roles to Government towards addressing inequalities, ensuring
citizen participation and the protection of rights;
We remain committed in this unprecedented
moment to work with youth progressively in defending the dictates of the
Constitution and in complimenting the efforts of the Government where possible
in the fight against COVID 19.
We also remain focused on the No to Amendments
before Constitutional Implementation; as the proposed amendments are a threat
to the Doctrine of Separation of Powers.
We urge the Government even in this
unprecedented moment to act in the National interest. The country is faced with urgent issues that
require for all of us to work together to curb the COVID-19 pandemic; ensure
human dignity and posterity and the other core issue being the implementation
of the Constitution not amendment.
//END//
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Mobile: 263 734 832 024
www.nayoafrica.org
