A meeting to decide venues for upcoming constitutional outreach meetings in Zimbabwe's capital, Harare ended in a deadlock Thursday after President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party representatives turned violent.
ZANU PF was demanding one outreach meeting per ward when consultations start at the weekend as opposed to the proposed two.
Representatives from the two formations of the Movement for Democratic Change, in attendance blasted the constitutional committee for publishing a list of outreach venues when the provincial liaison committee had not reached final agreement.
In Bulawayo, the National Youth Development Trust said most residents were not aware of outreach meeting venues at the weekend meetings as the committee leading consultations has not adequately publicize the information.
Trust coordinator Mmeli Dube said the lack of awareness in the city was the biggest threat to the outreach process.
The MDC National Council has also criticized the on-going constitutional outreach saying the absence of debate and dialogue in the public and private media will affect the outcome.
The National Council is calling for an all-inclusive national debate on constitutional reform, using radio and television.
Party spokesperson Nelson Chamisa told VOA Studio 7 reporter Tatenda Gumbo that there has not been a significant amount of space dedicated to debate on television and radio in the process of gathering people’s views.
