Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said the Political Dialogue Actors (POLAD) cannot dictate to government what it should do regarding a proposed constitutional amendment.
Ziyambi made the comments after one of the POLAD interlocutors, Lovemore Madhuku, had implored the government to withdraw the Constitutional Amendment Bill. Said Ziyambi:
The current Constitution was a product of compromise. Who is the people that Prof Madhuku is referring to? Laws are made by parliamentarians who are the representatives of the people.
… Polad is not a statutory instrument. It is a platform for dialogue which like any other person or institution should submit its views about the Bill and it will be up to Parliament to take it up. So, suggestions to withdraw the Bill are misdirected.
Ziyambi accused Madhuku of being a political turncoat after he campaigned for the rejection of the current Constitution in the run-up to the 2013 referendum, only to turn around to push for its retention.
Among other things, the Constitutional Amendment Bill seeks to do away with the “Running Mate Clause” and give the President more powers in appointing judges and to pick more cabinet minister from non-parliamentarians.