(SUNDAY MAIL ZW) UNDP Copac scandal deepens
UNDP Copac scandal deepensSaturday, 19 May 2012 20:12
Sunday Mail Reporter
The United Nations Development Programme in Zimbabwe has recruited a media specialist for the Copac project and has taken the lead in laying the ground for Copac’s scheduled Second Stakeholders’ Conference, raising eyebrows that the UN agency is not only supporting the constitution-making process but calling the shots at Copac.
Ordinarily, Copac, as the driver of the constitution-making process, is supposed to recruit a media specialist or should have a public relations arm to handle media issues.
It is not known when Copac’s Second Stakeholder Conference will be held as last Thursday, a deadlock was declared in the constitution-making process.
The latest revelation comes soon after this newspaper exposed clandestine moves by the UN agency, through a leaked e-mail, to recruit writers to pen commissioned articles in support of Copac. The writers were promised US$200 for pro-Copac articles ranging from 600 to 800 words.
It is understood that Chiramwiwa Gavi, who has been working closely with Copac, was recruited as the media specialist and has roped in freelance writer Rejoice Ngwenya to recruit the pro-Copac writers.
Early this year, the UNDP posted a job advert entitled “Consultancy for Media Specialist for Copac Project,” where it said it wanted to recruit a consultant well versed with popularising draft constitutions. The consultant was given an initial contract of five months.
“In order to enhance its capacity to continue providing substantive support to the constitution-making process in particular for the remaining key activities such as the drafting process and the Second Stakeholder Conference, the UNDP CO is looking to recruit a consultant with demonstrated experience in publicity and media campaign around informing and educating the public on participatory constitution-making processes as well as popularising draft constitutions.
“The consultant is expected to provide technical support and expertise, including sharing experiences and best practice with the UNDP CO and Copac for the remaining activities of the constitution-making process such as drafting, preparations for the Second Stakeholder Conference and publicity leading to the referendum.
“Critically, the consultant is expected to provide technical expertise in developing and implementing a media tracking/monitoring tool to gauge effectiveness of the publicity campaign and where there are gaps, to improve on this,” read the advert.
Some of the duties of the consultant included “development of advertorial materials for television, radio and print media, development of billboards, newsletters and supplements, and development of radio and television educational programmes to promote the drafting process, hosting of the Second Stakeholder Conference and preparatory processes for the referendum.”
VIEW OR DOWNLOAD THE DRAFT CONSTITUTION HERE
The consultant was also supposed to provide practical advice in developing and posting adverts and relevant information onto the Copac website while providing technical assistance on the effective use of social media such as facebook and twitter.
Commenting on the latest revelations, a constitutional expert, who requested anonymity for professional reasons, said the UNDP in its recent Press adverts seeks to give the false impression that all it has been doing is support Copac as part of its general work and funding of Government projects.
“As you would expect, many constitutional experts are following the constitution-making process and I have been struck by the so-called technical assistance being given to Copac by the UNDP.
“The job advert by the UNDP clearly shows that the agency has in fact taken the lead in Copac issues and its description of the Copac work and activities shows that it is not just supporting Copac through funding but is actually calling the shots.
“The job description of the media specialist is as telling as are the references describing Copac and its work,” said the expert, adding that the UNDP had taken over all the media responsibilities from Copac, a move “which stinks of dirty underhand politics.”
Said the expert: “One gets the impression that the UNDP is leading Copac yet it’s supposed to be the other way round. The UNDP should leave Copac to lead the process and they provide just the technical assistance.”
Recently, this paper exposed the UNDP after it published an email dated April 16 2012, written by Ngwenya and addressed to several writers and MDC-T politicians asking for writers to write articles in support of Copac despite the fact that the process had largely ignored the people’s views.
Copac dumped the people’s views in favour of the “explanatory principles approach” that was put forward by Mr Hassen Abrahim, a South African, who confessed that he was working closely with the UNDP.
Labels: COPAC, NEOCOLONIALISM, UN, UNDP
posted by MrK @ 4:19 PM
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