NCA Statement on proposed pre-paid water metres

NCA Press Release

2 October

NCA Statement on proposed pre-paid water metres

The National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) rejects the publicised intention by the MDC-T run Harare City Council in tandem with the Zanu Pf central government to introduce pre-paid water meters in the capital city by the end of the year.   The introduction of pre-paid meters is not only undemocratic but inimical to the enjoyment of the fundamental right of not only Harare residents but all Zimbabweans to access safe water.

While Greater Harare is already facing acute water shortages, prepaid water meters are not the solution to this problem. The real problem is the shortage of water and not the ability of residents to pay nominal charges for water that they utilize.  What is worrying is that instead of local authorities making sure that water is available, they now seek citizens to pay through the nose for dry taps.

Any implementation of the pre-paid water meters system is tantamount to the privatisation of a God-given natural resource such as water and must be totally rejected by residents of Harare and all Zimbabweans. The introduction of pre-paid water meters, in our view, is a form of privatisation and undemocratic commodification of what ought to be an essential publicly funded service.

The real challenges lie in the lack of completion of key projects such as the Kunzvi Dam project which has been lying idle in the Ministry of Public Works, Ministry of Water and the Ministry of the Local Government. The HCC must not seek to pass on the costs of its failures to the poor residents and ratepayers of Harare who are in no way at fault for the water shortages that are prevalent.  Pre-paid water meters will in the end be similar in failure to the electricity meters which were introduced by ZESA. These pre-paid electricity meters have not eased the national electricity distribution crises. Instead, electricity is now scarcer than before.

The NCA urges all residents of Harare and those of other municipalities across Zimbabwe to refuse the implementation of prepaid water meters and insist on their right to clean water.

ENDS//

Madock Chivasa

On Behalf of the NCA 

NCA SPECIAL CONGRESS RESOLUTIONS

NATIONAL CONSTITUTIONAL ASSEMBLY (NCA)

SPECIAL CONGRESS

28 September 2013

BUMBIRO/ISISEKELO HOUSE, HARARE.

DRAFT RESOLUTIONS

The National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) meeting as a special Congress, in accordance with the provisions of its constitution;

COMMITTED to its founding and overriding objective of ensuring that this country is governed under a new, democratic and people-driven constitution;

REALISING that for the past 16 years, the goal of a new, democratic and people-driven constitution has been consistently frustrated by a ruling political leadership which has relied on state power and state resources to promote and defend an undemocratic constitution;

NOTING that this political system of abusing state power and state resources to deny the people their right to write their own constitution reached its height during the period 2009-2013 when ZANU(PF) received assistance from the MDC to continue destroying the people`s hopes for a constitution by themselves and for their own country;

CONVINCED that the March 2013 referendum was a huge fraud where the people were cheated to approve a ZANU(PF)/MDC document which is now claimed to be a “people`s constitution”

KNOWING that only the NCA carries the people`s hopes for a new, democratic and people-driven constitution;

HAVING REVIEWED the methods and strategies we have used as an organisation in the past 16 years;

CONCLUDING that the political terrain has changed fundamentally and that new methods and strategies have to be adopted in our continuing quest for a new, democratic and people-driven constitution;

NOTING that from its inception, and as reflected in its constitution, the NCA has always been alive to the need to change its methods and strategies in pursuit of its goals;

NOW THEREFORE, the special congress resolves as follows:

1.       That it is futile for the NCA to believe that any of the current political parties will revisit the issue of a new constitution given their self-fulfilling referendum of March 2013 and their subsequent introduction of a new undemocratic constitution on 22 May 2013.

2.       That it cannot make sense for the NCA to lobby politicians who have taken leave of their responsibilities and failed to provide the people of Zimbabwe with adequate public housing, health, clean and safe water, education, public transport.

3.       That in the light of 1 above, the current political, social and economic environment calls upon the NCA to move from its current methods and strategies of basic civic education, advocacy and lobbying to entering the field of competing for political office so as to use any political space gained thereby to pursue its goals of ushering a new, democratic and people-driven constitution.

4.       That entry into the field of competing for political office requires the NCA to expand its goals and attract more members.

5.       That, with effect from this day of our Lord, 28 September 2013, the NCA incorporates the methods and strategies of competing for political office in pursuit of its goals and for the removal of doubt, this transforms the NCA into a political party.

6.       That the transformation of the NCA into a political party, which has taken effect from this day, 28 September 2013, requires certain necessary changes to the  structures and leadership of the organisation.

7.       That the current Taskforce continues in office until 31 March 2014 with the following responsibilities:

•        Engaging all NCA members to make proposals on necessary changes to the organisational structure in the light of the transformation to a political party.

•        Conducting membership consultations on the additional goals of the organisation but being bound by the notion that the quest for a new, democratic and people-driven constitution necessarily means ours is a social-democratic movement with a pan-African outlook and with utmost respect for the struggle of our people against colonialism and imperialism.

•        Inviting new members.

•        Working with like-minded organisations and creating appropriate spaces for them in our structures.

•        Convening a Congress before 31 March 2014 at which the organisation`s new thrust as a political party will be launched and a new leadership elected.

8.       That in view of the added responsibilities of the Taskforce, all persons who on this day, 28 September 2013, are members of regional committees,  are hereby elected into the Taskforce. In addition, the Special Congress also elected members of the planning committee   into the Taskforce and the full list of the interim Taskforce members will be made public at a later date.

9.       That we implement our long-standing resolution to pay membership fees, the first such fees being due for the period ending 31 December, 2013.

NCA SPECIAL CONGRESS

NATIONAL CONSTITUTIONAL ASSEMBLY (NCA)

SPECIAL CONGRESS

28 September 2013

BUMBIRO/ISISEKELO HOUSE, HARARE.

DRAFT RESOLUTIONS

The National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) meeting as a special Congress, in accordance with the provisions of its constitution;

COMMITTED to its founding and overriding objective of ensuring that this country is governed under a new, democratic and people-driven constitution;

REALISING that for the past 16 years, the goal of a new, democratic and people-driven constitution has been consistently frustrated by a ruling political leadership which has relied on state power and state resources to promote and defend an undemocratic constitution;

NOTING that this political system of abusing state power and state resources to deny the people their right to write their own constitution reached its height during the period 2009-2013 when ZANU(PF) received assistance from the MDC to continue destroying the people`s hopes for a constitution by themselves and for their own country;

CONVINCED that the March 2013 referendum was a huge fraud where the people were cheated to approve a ZANU(PF)/MDC document which is now claimed to be a “people`s constitution”

KNOWING that only the NCA carries the people`s hopes for a new, democratic and people-driven constitution;

HAVING REVIEWED the methods and strategies we have used as an organisation in the past 16 years;

CONCLUDING that the political terrain has changed fundamentally and that new methods and strategies have to be adopted in our continuing quest for a new, democratic and people-driven constitution;

NOTING that from its inception, and as reflected in its constitution, the NCA has always been alive to the need to change its methods and strategies in pursuit of its goals;

NOW THEREFORE, the special congress resolves as follows:

1.       That it is futile for the NCA to believe that any of the current political parties will revisit the issue of a new constitution given their self-fulfilling referendum of March 2013 and their subsequent introduction of a new undemocratic constitution on 22 May 2013.

2.       That it cannot make sense for the NCA to lobby politicians who have taken leave of their responsibilities and failed to provide the people of Zimbabwe with adequate public housing, health, clean and safe water, education, public transport.

3.       That in the light of 1 above, the current political, social and economic environment calls upon the NCA to move from its current methods and strategies of basic civic education, advocacy and lobbying to entering the field of competing for political office so as to use any political space gained thereby to pursue its goals of ushering a new, democratic and people-driven constitution.

4.       That entry into the field of competing for political office requires the NCA to expand its goals and attract more members.

5.       That, with effect from this day of our Lord, 28 September 2013, the NCA incorporates the methods and strategies of competing for political office in pursuit of its goals and for the removal of doubt, this transforms the NCA into a political party.

6.       That the transformation of the NCA into a political party, which has taken effect from this day, 28 September 2013, requires certain necessary changes to the  structures and leadership of the organisation.

7.       That the current Taskforce continues in office until 31 March 2014 with the following responsibilities:

•        Engaging all NCA members to make proposals on necessary changes to the organisational structure in the light of the transformation to a political party.

•        Conducting membership consultations on the additional goals of the organisation but being bound by the notion that the quest for a new, democratic and people-driven constitution necessarily means ours is a social-democratic movement with a pan-African outlook and with utmost respect for the struggle of our people against colonialism and imperialism.

•        Inviting new members.

•        Working with like-minded organisations and creating appropriate spaces for them in our structures.

•        Convening a Congress before 31 March 2014 at which the organisation`s new thrust as a political party will be launched and a new leadership elected.

8.       That in view of the added responsibilities of the Taskforce, all persons who on this day, 28 September 2013, are members of regional committees,  are hereby elected into the Taskforce. In addition, the Special Congress also elected members of the planning committee   into the Taskforce and the full list of the interim Taskforce members will be made public at a later date.

9.       That we implement our long-standing resolution to pay membership fees, the first such fees being due for the period ending 31 December, 2013.