HARARE, – A Constitution Select Committee (COPAC) rapporteur, who assaulted a team leader last week, faces expulsion from participating in the process meant to solicit people’s views to draft a new constitution for the country.
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Beauty Zhuwao, the wife of President Robert Mugabe’s nephew and ZANU PF legislator for Zvimba East Patrick Zhuwao punched Bindura South Member of Parliament Bednock Nyaude on his chest with a fist after accusing him of insinuating that she had personal problems, a charge which Nyaude denied.
Nyaude is from Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party and is one of the COPAC team leaders spearheading the process to solicit people’s views to the crafting of a new democratic governance charter.
The assault took place outside the offices of the District Administrator for Kadoma in Mashonaland West Province last Monday. Zhuwao is part of the team of rapporteurs who are capturing the public sentiments expressed during the constitution making outreach process.
Both Nyaude and Kadoma Central legislator Editor Matamisa, who is one of the COPAC supervisors in Mashonaland West Province, confirmed the assault. Nyaude reported the assault case at Kadoma Central Police Station last Tuesday and to the two COPAC team supervisors Matamisa and Walter Chidakwa, the MP for Zvimba South, who is also related to President Mugabe.
Matamisa has since handed over her report detailing the assault to COPAC co-chairpersons Paul Mangwana and Douglas Mwonzora.
Mwonzora said if found guilty Zhuwao would be suspended from the COPAC process.
“We have agreed with Honourable Mangwana that if we get prima facie evidence of violence by a team member against another then that team member must be suspended from COPAC,” Mwonzora, who is from Prime Minister Tsvangirai’s MDC party.
It was not yet clear whether a COPAC tribunal had been set up to consider the assault of the legislator.
