BULAWAYO - President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF has scoffed at the “NO” vote campaign being spearheaded by pro-democracy group National Constitutional Assembly (NCA).

Zanu PF Bulawayo provincial chairperson Killian Sibanda told journalists at the Bulawayo Press Club at the weekend that NCA chairman Lovemore Madhuku is just a bitter man who is wasting his time.

He claimed the constitutional law expert will never succeed with his “Vote NO” campaign against the Constitutional Select Committee’s (Copac) draft constitution.

“Madhuku is just a bitter man because he was not involved in the drafting of the new constitution. That is why he is talking about a Vote “NO” campaign,” Sibanda said.

“But we know that won’t succeed and he is just wasting his time. This is a people-driven constitution where all political parties were involved and the process is moving smoothly. So, Madhuku is just wasting time.”

The draft constitution sailed through Parliament last week. Madhuku has threatened to roll out a door-to-door “Vote No” campaign. The draft constitution is due to be put to a referendum next month.

Madhuku did not rule out the possibility of the NCA combining forces with other civic organisations and student unions during the campaigns.

The NCA boss said politicians spent four years and squandered over US$45 million to produce a draft constitution that was not good for the country but for themselves.

The Zanu PF Bulawayo chairperson also defended war veterans’ leader Jabulani Sibanda’s campaigns in the rural areas saying they were peaceful.

“There is nothing wrong being done by Jabulani, he is campaigning for the party (Zanu PF) and it is a lie that he is causing violence,” Sibanda said.

“Even if he wants to start campaigning for Zanu PF in Bulawayo, we will give him the go ahead.”

The war veterans’ leader is currently in Mashonaland East where he is holding rallies with villagers campaigning for Zanu PF.

Last year, he was in rural Masvingo. The two MDCs have accused the war veterans’ leader of causing violence during his campaigns in the rural areas. - Pindai Dube