Sukuoluhle Ndlovu
Masvingo –Human rights activist and lawyer, Lucy Chivasa has said there is no need to amend the constitution as this will betray the people.
Speaking at a Tellzim and Community tolerance reconciliation and development (COTRAD) discussion today, Chivasa explained that the constitution has parts that have not been tested yet which need implementation rather than amendment.
The discussion was on the implications regarding the government’s proposed constitution amendment bill.
Last year December, government gazetted the Constitutional Amendment Bill, which proposed 27 amendments to the constitution which was adopted in 2013 after a referendum.
“What I think or perceive as the implications according to the theme of this discussion is that amending the constitution in this way is kind of retrogressive, it’s like taking us back to where we are coming from.
“My major issue in amending these sections is that there are sections that we are seeking to amend that we have not tested for example the issue of the quota system,why are we amending these prior to 2013 instead of just implementing them and align them to the constitution and see whether or not it works. So in my view I think we should not be amending the constitution especially sections that we have not yet tested,” she said.
From a feminine point of view, Chivasa said the amendment of the constitution will not be fair especially on the issue of the quota system.
“Let’s say we are extending the quota system and the general feeling being a young person, being a youth and also a women is that this provision is going to be used to have us fight each other.Can we not just implement the provisions on equality and not amend the constitution and say let’s extend.”
