GUNS
&ROSES
MAY 2021
Provincial
highlights
Harare
In May 2021 President Mnangagwa signed the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Bill (N0.2) into law,
effecting 27 changes to the Constitution.
The amendment is seen as an attempt to prepare for the 2023 elections as it gives the President sweeping
powers and whittles down the role of the judiciary and Parliament.
In the same month, President Mnangagwa renewed the tenure of Chief Justice Luke Malaba for the next five
years, a move that was successfully challenged in the courts by Dr Musa Kika and the Zimbabwe Young
Lawyers’ Association.
Malaba is seen as an enabler of the Mnangagwa government and the post of Chief Justice is strategic for the
2023 elections.
The case is still ongoing as Malaba has continued to report for work basing his move on an appeal by the
Judicial Services Commission. His decision to continue reporting for duty despite the court declaration has
seen him being hauled before the courts with a contempt of court charge.
The whole fiasco has serious implications on the independence of the judiciary and its perception by the
public. It takes away the citizens’ confidence in the system and ZPP carried out surveys to find out the
implications of this and these were some of the responses.
The court system is a true test of a country’s democratic values and as it stands, the courts now
seem to belong to the ruling party and that does not bode well for citizens like us who rely on that
same court system for the arbitration of criminal and civil cases.”
“It appears the presidency is attempting to control everything including decisions made by judges.
Just check how a lot of judgements on political and civil rights activists are deferred for some
days. Is this not so that the judges consult the powers that be before they make judgements. What
does that say about the independence of the judges?”
Bulawayo Metro
Zanu PF officials went on a door-to-door campaign in some of the suburbs promising that those who joined
the party would get a bank card that would enable them to buy groceries and other essentials through the
social welfare department. This is a clear politicization of the social welfare system, which should benefit all
those in need regardless of their political affiliation.
During the campaign, the longstanding unresolved issue of Gukurahundi continued to emerge as some of
those approached brought up the issue citing how the government was responsible for the killing of their
relatives. The ZPP continues to implore government to resolve the Gukurahundi issue because for as long as
the issue like many other phases of conflict remain unresolved, the country will be in perpetual conflict.
Matabeleland North
In Binga North constituency, it was reported that a Zanu PF activist identified as Siansipa refused to give
government food aid to some MDC Alliance members and asked them to get it ‘from their party president
Nelson Chamisa.’
Siansipa, who is a campaign manager for Cephas Mudenda who has contested for the constituency in
previous elections, went on to openly proclaim that ZanuPF was going to use food aid as a political weapon
to punish those who did not join the party.
Midlands
Zanu PF has always manipulated and used the informal sector especially during election time. In the
Midlands, Zanu PF activists grabbed several market stalls and have converted these into political party spaces
where one needs to be a member in order to utilize them. The party has usurped the role of the council,
which is supposed to oversee the allocation and management of the stalls. The issue was reported to the city
management which later took the matter to the Midlands Province Minister of State and Devolution Senator
Larry Mavhima. The matter is yet to be resolved. Some of the areas like the Mtapa market where these market
stalls have been set up have become an eyesore and are a health timebomb in the making.
Manicaland
The referral of government employees to the ideological course at Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology in
Vumba has continued to be the major highlight of the province. The concept is currently being employed by
government countrywide and this is seen as an attempt to manipulate government workers to serve the
interests of a political party instead of every Zimbabwean regardless of political affiliation.
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