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targets have been missed.
Yet we are told that the resolution of the political stalemate that led to the formation of the inclusive Government hinges on the completion of the constitution and the holding of elections, most likely sometime next year.
The lack of urgency in funding the constitution has been inexplicable. Money can be found for other purposes but not for the constitution making process.
Latest reports say Copac has finally secured US$1,5 million to fund the drafting of the constitution. We are told the drafting will start “soon” and will take about 35 days.
Zimbabweans now want to see real progress and not new excuses.
Admittedly, Copac has been under-funded but there is always a danger that it can drag on for the convenience of those who are benefiting financially from it. Or those who would want to avoid an early election.
Surely if the Western forces who claim to be the champions of democracy were keen on an early election money would have been found for the constitution to be completed.
Now that they know that according to the Sadc roadmap to elections, the constitution has to be completed first before elections can be held, every stumbling block will be thrown in the way of those leading the constitution making process to delay the elections.
This would be a great disservice to Zimbabweans who need a strong government to fulfil their political, social and economic aspirations.
A coalition government by its nature is a weak government made up of people with opposing visions who work at cross purposes with one another.
The present set up of an inclusive Government involving unwilling partners is not sustainable. It may have succeeded in bringing a measure of stability and peace, but it is certainly not generating enough momentum to propel the country forward.
The reason is simple: each of the partners is keeping an eye on the elections. They are all trying to outshine each other.
Where there is serious competition for attention the parties can’t be complementary to each other.
And this is not good for government and for the people.
We have seen interesting economic blueprints but they have all been destined for the shelves. There has been very little implementation simply because there is no funding for those programmes and where it is available there is no unity of purpose.
Whilst consensual management of power is good it must involve willing partners. And it must involve sincerity and be to the benefit of the people.
It appears the present arrangement is pleasing to some of the leaders who are beginning to enjoy the trappings of power and would not want to risk losing them should the country go to elections.
So as Sadc pushes for the roadmap to elections to be followed it must begin to also put pressure that the constitution be finalised.
The drafters are in place and waiting to do their job. The people of Zimbabwe want to hear that they have begun their work.
What the people want most is to see the draft constitution and make a decision whether or not it reflects what they said or what they would want to see in a constitution.
There are reports that some civic society bodies are already hovering around Copac seeking to “observe” the drafting. The question is who appointed them observers and who do they really represent?
The drafters have been agreed upon by the three parties to the Global Political Agreement who draw their legitimacy from being elected legislators. So the civic society bodies should stay away from the drafting process, which really is the work of experts.
If the civic society organisations command a following and great influence, they will have an opportunity to exercise it during the all-stakeholders conference and in the period leading to the referendum.
They asked for a people-driven constitution and so should allow the views of the people to prevail and not those of their Western sponsors.
The people have already spoken and what remains is the technical process of translating their views into the Book of the Law that will give legal substance to the nation of Zimbabwe.