Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) president, Peter Mutasa says the Zanu PF government’s move to amend the constitutional provision on the appointment and retirement of judges goes beyond national politics.
Speaking during a joint press conference addressed by Civil Society heads in Harare today, Mutasa said no one is spared from the provision hence the need for a collective approach to reject the alteration.
“It’s not always that the judiciary is captured for political reasons. No one is spared, it takes a compromised person to certify public policy, economic policies like the introduction of the Zimbabwean dollar which has pauperized all the working class, which is quite unfair to the peasants those who are buying their inputs using US dollars but are forced to sell their tobacco, cotton and maize in useless RTGS.
“Eventually that class conflict and contradiction will eventually land on the desks of the judges and for a Government that has taken a clear fascism approach in terms of policy, social and economic policies they understand the importance of the judiciary.
“This is why workers demand an independent and uncompromised judiciary and this is why peasants need an independent judiciary eventually the dispute in Chilonga will see its day in Court, The dispute about the land rights in Dinde in Hwange will see its day in the courts so there are a number of issue and the main one is political People who want political power and lots of it they don’t just it for fun they want it for economic benefits like we are seeing the looting and everything,” said Mutasa.
He had no kind words for opposition legislators who voted for Amendment Bill number 2 accusing them of selling out.
“Those who are siding with the movers of the amendment, it is expected there has never been a struggle without its turn courts, sellouts. What we can pronounce openly is that those people are selling out because the Constitution amendment number 20 of 2013 came through a long process. That process included consultations of the citizens and a referendum.
“Anyone who has been appointed or elected by the citizens and sits in the Senate national assembly or House of Assembly and does not realise the need of consultations, the need for referendum before the Constitution is amended there is no any other characterisation of that person they are sellouts.” he said.
