By Sukuoluhle Ndlovu
Masvingo – War veterans have said the Constitution of Zimbabwe must be altered to include the War Veterans Quota for Parliamentary Affairs.
This was highlighted today at the Constitutional Amendment Bill Number 2 public hearing that was held in Masvingo at the Mucheke hall.
Yesterday the Parliamentary committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs was in Chivi for the first gathering at Chivi growth point.
War veterans said that they were being sidelined.
“There is the Women Quota and now the Youth Quota is about to be introduced which will include each youth from every province in the country but to my surprise nothing is said about us war veterans, we seem to be ignored and deliberately.
There should be a War Veterans Quota, l do not see why they should omit the liberation fighters as we sacrificed a lot, we have a lot we can contribute in Parliament just like every member.
As war veterans we want Dare ReChimurenga in the Parliament, we should guide the nation and we know what is best for the country,” said Cde Chinooneka.
He added that the Constitution stipulates that war vets must be respected but this is not what’s on the ground. Chinooneka stated that war veterans must have a say in the affairs of the Parliament.
Richard Munyenye a youth who was also present at the hearing said that, “The Youth Quota is of vitality but it should not be tenure of 10 years but should be ongoing and the youths that will be part of the Youth Quota should not only be selected on political affiliation,” he said.
Brain Temba also added that the President must choose his own team.
“The President must have the right to choose his own Vice Presidents, people he know he will be able to work with and if they fail they fail as a team together so this is necessary he chooses his own team to work with,” he said.
Contrary, a lot of people at the hearing were against the view that the President has to have powers to appoint Vice Presidents and the Judiciary. They said that power has to be decentralized to the people and the people must choose for themselves the leaders they want. If the President is given the powers to choose then there will be no democracy as he can easily manipulate them for his own accord.
