example, procedures have evolved for encouraging co-operation and compromise between Congress, the legislature, and the President. These procedures are not mentioned in the constitution. And if a foreigner who was unfamiliar with the Zimbabwean political scene read our present Constitution before its latest amendment, he or she might well have believed that political parties were of little or no importance in our system of government, because the Constitution mentioned political parties only once (in section 41(1)(e)), and then only incidentally. Culture of constitutionalism If a constitution is not embraced by the people of the country, if it is not regarded as “our” constitution by the great majority, then it may lose legitimacy and either be subjected to frequent amendment by whichever group of politicians is currently in power, or ignored by a despotic government or else overridden completely in a coup d’état. To avoid that fate, the constitution must contain provisions that are acceptable to the majority. This doesn’t mean that most of the people must agree with everything in the constitution, only that the constitution as a whole is broadly acceptable. In addition, the government should make concerted and prolonged efforts to ensure that everyone is aware of the constitution and its importance to them. This goes further than informing people of their rights under the constitution; people must be made aware of their responsibilities too, and of the way in which the various institutions of government work and the part they play in the government of the country. Conclusion A constitution can be compared to a house. A house defines the space within which its inhabitants conduct their daily lives, and a constitution defines the way in which the inhabitants of a country conduct their political affairs. A house may be large or small, and a constitution may be lengthy or brief; a house and a constitution may be well-organised or haphazard. It is possible for a family to live happily in a small, disorganised house or to live miserably in a well-appointed palace; and it is possible for a nation to live peacefully and contentedly in a country whose constitution is badly thought out, or to live in disharmony in a country with a model constitution. In other words, a constitution does not determine whether the inhabitants of a country will be happy and united or discontented and fractious. Our new constitution, whether it is well or badly drafted, will not itself bring happiness to Zimbabwe. That will depend on Zimbabweans themselves. ___________________________ 5