Zimbabwe: activists say rights enshrined in new constitution are hindered by old laws

Published January 08, 2015

Activists say hundreds of old laws in Zimbabwe need to be changed to conform with the southern African nation's 1-year-old constitution, which guarantees democratic rights but faces problems in its implementation.

The activists said in Johannesburg on Wednesday that there is a growing debate about the discrepancy between the old legal framework and the constitution, which was adopted in a referendum in March 2013. In July of that year, President Robert Mugabe won another term of office in elections that the opposition said were marred by fraud.

Dewa Mavhinga of the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, a group of non-governmental organizations, says the constitution guarantees the right to basic services such as water and health care. But he says Zimbabwe's economic decline and corruption hinder its ability to care for citizens.

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https://www.foxnews.com/world/zimbabwe-activists-say-rights-enshrined-in-new-constitution-are-hindered-by-old-laws