The public outreach phase of Zimbabwe's constitutional revision process resumed Monday as organizers rolled out new talking points correcting Shona and Ndebele translation errors and added explanatory material.
Co-Chairman Douglas Mwonzora of the select parliamentary committee overseeing the revision process told VOA Studio 7 reporter Jonga Kandemiiri that a one week pause in the outreach effort for the reopening of Parliament gave organizers a chance to sort out logistical and technical problems, including recording issues.
Despite assurances from Harare that problems are now few in the outreach process, the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association said outreach meetings in Mashonaland East and West continue to be troubled.
A political source reporting from Mashonaland West’s Raffingora district said revised talking points are not yet in use, and that state security agents with prepared responses have been monopolizing meetings.
ZimRights Program Officer Olivia Gumbo said her group’s observers report that people are understanding the process better with the new talking points. But she said disorganization and intimidation still haunt the process.
Midlands province outreach team leader Amos Chibaya said meetings in Shurugwi district were delayed to make sure workers could take part and express their opinions about what the new constitution should say.
