Matinenga in best syllogistic nonsense in defence of Copac constitution!

Well throughout this debate on this Copac constitution I have heard some nonsensical arguments put forward in support of what everyone knows deep inside is a rubbish constitution but this contribution from Deputy Minister Eric Matinenga is in a class all by its self. This is an example of syllogism at its nonsensical best!

Syllogism is a form of reasoning in which a conclusion is drawn from two given or assumed proposition.

 “A new constitution will not guarantee us a free and fair election. What is going to guarantee us a free and fair election is a culture of constitutionalism,” said Matinenga who will retire from government service when the terms of office of the current government expires later this year.

“We don’t have a culture of constitutionalism in Zimbabwe and that culture of constitutionalism must always cascade from the top to the bottom. This is the culture that must be understood and pervades to the generality of the population,” said Matinenga.

If Mugabe had bothered to amend the Lancaster House Constitution each time he acted unconstitutionally then we would not be talking of 19 amendments but 100 000 amendments.  Add another 100 000 amendments again in April to June 2008 when the whole country was turned into some hell-on-earth during the presidential run-off elections.

God knows we already know Mugabe and Zanu PF’s disregard of the rules, laws and constitution or you so called “constitutionalism”.  What is at issue here is what are we going to do about it?

What you are proposing in that we should we accept a weak and feeble constitution, which Mugabe himself “dictated” and therefore was clearly to his liking, and hope he will honor this.

Whereas everyone agrees that ZRP’s partisan policing practices, for example, have placed Zanu PF thugs above the law and thus contributed to the country’s culture of political violence. The answer here is clearly to carry out the institutional reforms in the country’s security sectors; reforms, I must add, that were agreed in the GPA.

MDC asked Mugabe to have these reforms implemented and he said no. MDC dropped that!

MDC asked if a new Police Commissioner can be appointed given Chikuri’s pro-Zanu PF stance. Mugabe said no and, again, MDC dropped the matter.

MDC has given in on all the key issues to appease Mugabe. So now we have this Copac constitution so weak and feeble it will never deliver and safe guard any democratic rights. Mugabe has all his dictatorial powers and we, the people have to be totally dependent on his whim.  

We must rely on mercy, justice, rule of law, our share of the nation’s wealth, free and fair elections, everything, absolutely everything, “cascade from the top to the bottom”!  What a truck load of mumbo-jumbo.

We have a tyrannical dictator here who has nothing but contempt for the rule of law. The answer is not to make the laws even weaker with even bigger loophole for him to escape. You do the exact opposite you make the laws stronger and close all the loopholes!

If MDC had had all the agreed reforms implemented and made sure the new constitution was a strong and democratic one Zimbabwe will be looking forward to its first ever free and fair democratic elections. MDC failed in having the reforms implemented and now is covering up for its failures and dragging the nation into yet another bloody election process.

 Constitutionalism, my foot!