Could be digging his own grave
ing political asylum in Zanu PF,” Mtimande said.
“He now cares less about what people will say and is just making it clearer through his rational disputation narrative, but otherwise he is no longer an opposition to Zanu PF, but an ally.
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions president Peter Mutasa last week said those siding with Zanu PF to mutilate the constitution were “sellouts” in apparent reference to Mwonzora and his MDC-T party.
The condemnation of Mwonzora and the MDCT by Mutasa, observers said, was an indication of a vote-of-no-confidence in the political outfit that is battling to upstage the mainstream MDC Alliance as the main opposition party.
“The 2013 constitution came through a long process that includes consultation of the citizens so anyone, who has been appointed or elected by the citizens and who sits in the Senate or House of Assembly and does not realise the need for consultation before the constitution is amended, there is no other characterisation of that person, they are sell-outs,” Mutasa said.
“So, we must be very clear as citizens that we are not going to side with those that are not siding with us.
“That has to be open. And I am sure you have seen some of them trying to come out after citizens raised voices.”
Mwonzora’s actions have also incensed the opposition party’s traditional partners, who supported the need for a people-driven constitution including civic society, who last week collectively blasted the support by the opposition for the amendments.
Close to 50 organisations that gathered in Harare last week described the Constitutional Amendment Bill Number 2 as “controversial and a serious concern”.
“It is very disturbing that the proposed amendments to the constitution are being introduced at a time when the May 2013 constitution has not been fully implemented,” the civic society organisations said in a statement.
The organisations that took a stand against the constitutional amendments included Abammeli Rights Lawyers Network, Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, Chitungwiza and Manyame Rural Residents Association, Combined Harare Residents Association, Election Resource Centre, Heal Zimbabwe Trust, Media Institute of Southern Africa and Media Alliance of Zimbabwe.
The Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights, Zimbabwe Christian Alliance, Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum and the Zimbabwe National Students
Union also expressed disapproval.
Other critical thematic areas covered in the amendments include the appointment of the head of prosecution, extension of proportional representation provisions for female parliamentarians, composition of executive and legislative oversight role among other amendments.
MDC-T sources said the party MPs were in a dilemma on the move and that they were stampeded into supporting the amendments on the basis of strong calls for women empowerment.
Civic society organisations said they were mobilising for action to reject the amendments they say will centralise too much power in the executive, particularly the president.
Mwonzora has tried to justify his support for the amendments by saying they were protecting the quota for female legislators, but women’s groups have rejected the provisions for affirmative action as useless.