MoJLPA STATEMENT Zimbabwe celebrated the birth of a new Constitution on 22nd of May 2013, the date when the Constitution was signed into law. Prior to this, we had the 1979 Lancaster House Constitution which was never translated into any of our officially recognised languages. However, as a silver lining, the ushering in of the Constitution introduced significant aspects in our lives which include, among others; an expanded Bill of Rights that seeks to promote and protect citizens‟ civil, political, social, economic, cultural and environmental rights. It also introduced a constitutional value system that creates the foundation for our democracy. Furthermore, the significance of the Constitution lies in Section 2 which entrenches constitutional supremacy in Zimbabwe. It is in this context that we may have a good Constitution on paper, but it only becomes a living and helpful document when implemented amongst. In view of the aforementioned, I wish to draw your attention to Section 7 of the Constitution which mandates the State to „promote public awareness of the Constitution, in particular by translating it into all officially recognised languages and disseminating it as widely as possible.‟ Indeed, disseminating these translated versions of the Constitution will afford the citizenry an opportunity to fully exercise their rights and obligations. Section 7 goes further by providing that „the Constitution be disseminated as widely as possible and that the State encourages all persons and organisations, including civic organisations to raise awareness and increase knowledge of the Constitution throughout the society‟. This is the very reason why we have embarked on this project. I would like to pay tribute to the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops‟ Conference (ZCBC), the National Translation Committee (NTC), the Catholic Parliamentary and Liaison Office (CPLO) and the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Zimbabwe (CCJPZ) who have facilitated the workshop that developed this strategic document, supported by the European Union (EU). I have no doubt that their ability to identify the crucial issues facing our community today will be remembered as the hallmark of their advocacy work through this project. The Ministry is confident that the unfathomable dedication you will exhibit throughout the project will be a testament to the professionalism and teamwork that has been exhibited by the parties involved in the translation process. It is our hope that the strategy is structured in line with not only the demands of our funders the EU, but also in line with the demands expected of us by the true beneficiaries of this noble initiative, the public. Our success in implementing this strategy will thus contribute significantly to our main objective that is of ensuring widespread dissemination, education and awareness of the Constitution in all officially recognised languages. The Ministry would like to register its full commitment to the success of this Project. I thank you Mrs. V. Mabiza Permanent Secretary, MoJLPA 13