The discussion forum was chaired by MISA-Zimbabwe’s Advocacy Chairperson for Masvingo, Energy Bara.
 
The guests’ speakers were Paul Mangwana, co-chairperson of the Parliamentary Select Committee on the Constitution and Member of the House of Assembly for Chivi Central while the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) was represented by Jeffryson Chitando, Member of the House of Assembly for Masvingo Central.  Also in attendance were former Minister of Finance Simbarashe Mumbengegwi and Dzikamai Mavhaire both from Zanu PF.
 
In his opening remarks Mangwana attributed the slow pace of the constitution making process to lack of funds. He, however, said they had since received US$300 000 to steamroll the process. He said they would be embarking on weeklong training for the requisite outreach teams beginning 9 November 2009.He said that the Committee was now autonomous  from Parliament and accountable to the Management Committee comprising  all the chief negotiators of the three major political parties to the Global Political Agreement which gave birth to the inclusive government.
 
Meanwhile, Honorable Chitando  urged the media to take a leading role in educating the people and raising awareness on the constitution making process. MISA-Zimbabwe is pressing for a constitutional provision that explicitly guarantees media freedom and the citizens’ right to access to information in a new democratic constitution.

Reagan Malumo
Programme Officer: Media Freedom Monitoring and Research
Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Regional Secretariat
21 Johann Albrecht St
Private Bag 13386
Windhoek
Namibia
Phone: +264 61 232 975
Fax: +264 61 248 016
Mobile: +264 81 311 2626

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