Zimbabweans are looking forward to airing their views on the new constitution following the launch of the outreach program by Zimbabwean leaders in Harare on Wednesday this week.
The outreach program, which is meant to gather people's views on the new constitution, is expected to last about two months and people in the country are cherishing this once in a lifetime opportunity to define and shape their
future and that of future generations.
Riddled by false starts since July last year owing to squabbles over the composition of the outreach teams, talking points to shape the hearings, donor funding and other issues, the utmost assurance was given on Wednesday when President Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara appeared together and jointly launched the outreach program.
A total of 70 outreach teams will be deployed countrywide on Monday next week for at least 65 days to gather views of the public on the new
constitution which will replace the negotiated 1979 Lancaster House constitution.
To many, this is the critical stage of the constitution making process and Constitutional Affairs minister Eric Matinenga even acknowledged that at the launch.
"We are now at the critical stage, the outreach stage. This is the stage in my view which makes this particular process particularly people driven and all inclusive," he said in his preamble.