HARARE DECEMBER 19, 2017(CISA)-Zimbabwe Catholics Bishops’ Conference (ZCBC) and Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Justice have signed a deal to facilitate translation of the country’s constitution into local languages.
Fr Fradereck Chiromba, ZCBC secretary General said that the Church was committed towards ensuring every citizen had a fair understanding of the Constitution together with its provisions.
“Basically, we are helping government in the work that government should do, but at the same time it is helping the nation to come to a better understanding of the Constitution,” Zimbabwe’s NewsDay Newspaper quoted Fr Chiromba as saying.
Speaking at the signing ceremony December 18, Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi thanked the Church’s intervention in assisting the government to fulfil section 7 of the Constitution which obligates it to promote awareness of the Constitution through translating it into local languages.
“The Constitution in section 7, clearly states that we should be having translations in all the officially recognised languages, but that has not been happening, everyone should be aware of the constitutional provisions in particular, chapter four with fundamental rights.
“The coming-in of the bishops to translate the Constitution into four languages is something that we are very grateful of and the government, represented by my ministry, values such initiatives and we are very grateful that this will go a long way in promoting public awareness of the Constitution,” Ziyambi said.
Attorney-General Prince Machaya said the Constitution-translation phase marked a defining moment in which the Church had fully presented itself as an important partner in governance issues.
“This partnership highlights the importance of the Church to the governing of the country, like here the Church has come in to assist the government in a task which is an obligation of the government,” he said.
