Madhuku's NCA faces collapse as funds run dry, congress deferred

The National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) has indefinitely deferred the holding of its congress until after the constitutional referendum amid reports that the organisation is facing a crisis of funding.

Although the NCA spokesman, Maddock Chivasa, said the delaying of the congress was to allow ample time for Professor Lovemore Madhuku to lead the No Vote Campaign, sources said on Tuesday the organisation was asking for members to bail it out after a donors' snub.

NCA spokesperson Maddock Chivasa said: "It was unanimously resolved that the NCA congress be held after the referendum and national elections so as to allow the current leadership to continue leading the NO Vote campaign. Therefore any talk of leadership renewal has been shelved for the time being to allow the smooth running of the Take Charge campaign."

The NCA congress, which was due this year, would have paved way for new leaders to take over the running of the constitutional reform pressure group.

The NCA is also demanding that the draft be out for a referendum to take place "so that the people of Zimbabwe be given a democratic right to decide what they want".

"As the NCA we are now calling upon our structures to intensify the NO Vote campaign in rejecting the politicians driven constitution. We would then demand that an independent commission be established to start a fresh process to lead the constitution making process," said Chivasa.

The NCA also demanded that elections be conducted only after the writing of a new democratic people driven constitution that will lead to a free and fair elections.

"The NCA calls upon its membership to voluntarily assist in funding the programmes and activities of the organisation to move away from too much reliance  on donor funds, to ensure that the NCA continues to be afloat and remains truly independent in its operations bearing in mind the 'strings attachments' mainly associated with donor money," the NCA said.

The NCA said it is disturbed by the manner in which parliament handled the constitution writing process blowing close to $45million and yet they were failing to produce a consolidated draft. The lobby group demanded that a referendum must be held for people to choose whether to accept or reject the draft constitution.
 
The NCA called upon its membership and structures to "intensify the NO Vote campaign in rejecting the politician driven constitution."

The group also rejected calls to have an election without any meaningful reforms in our media, electoral and security sector and without a new democratic people driven constitution and that  elections be conducted only after a the writing of a new democratic people driven  constitution that will lead to a free and fair elections.

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