Nation taken for a ride

Soon after the appointment of the constitutional commission, President Mugabe was quoted by The Herald as saying, that they had included a few loudspeakers in the commission just to add some colouring.

Those who read this statement must have known from the beginning that the appointment of the 400-member constitutional commission was just a waste of the taxpayer’s money.

But some, believing that the ruling party had changed its ways, and would not do things the ZANU-way, must now be regretting. A leopard does not change its skin.

They have now realised that the National Constitutional Assembly, though being accused of backtracking by the mainline media, was right all along.

ZANU- PF just wanted to use the 240 or so “independent” commissioners to pull its own constitution through.

Now that this has been accomplished, they are telling everyone to go to hell.

They are even telling the nation: “Take it or leave it”.

Accept the new constitution as it is or they will use the old one which everyone, including its own members,is against.

It is obvious that if the NCA has the support that it claims to have and has the backing of the 14 opposition parties which recently signed an agreement setting out preconditions for the 2000 elections, then it is a foregone conclusion that people will vote No to the new constitution because everyone will be urging them to.

If that happens and ZANU-PF goes ahead with the elections under the old constitution, and wins, what will stop them from adopting the very constitution which the people will have rejected?

After all, they have already amended the constitution 15 times without going back to the people.

Besides, having just awarded themselves salary increases of 182 percent would they want to just willingly surrender power?

But the most baffling thing is that all those fundis and economic gurus, some genuinely thinking they were doing their national service, were taken for a ride.

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