32 SECTION 4 TOWARDS A HOME GROWN CONSTITUTION 4.1 INTRODUCTION Zimbabwe is made up of a multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multilingual society. It is characterized by unity-in-diversity. This is not a weakness but strength. The bond that binds us together is that we are Zimbabweans. Our failures in life harm us all in some way and our successes ought to benefit us in some way. Any efforts aimed at arriving at a national consensus must be predicated on the existence of the social reality of political, social, religious and cultural pluralism. We pride ourselves in our sovereignty but that sovereignty does not reside in one individual or one group. It resides in the people of Zimbabwe as a collective. The authority to govern is derived from the people. Those who govern, regardless whatever political opinions they may have, must be accountable to the people. Failure to observe this principle will result in a fractured and dysfunctional society. Success in the management of a country’s affairs depends in large measure on the consensus in shared values and a system of governance which provides space for democratic participation of the people. Consensus gives the people a sense of ownership of their institutions. Governance by consent and consensus is the key to peace, stability, social and economic development. A people centred and people crafted constitution is the centrepiece of governance and development. 4.2 THE LANCASTER CONSTITUTION We have already stated that the current Lancaster House constitution was not inspired by the collective consent and consensus of the people of Zimbabwe. It does not reflect the Zimbabwe we want. The fact that our constitution has been amended 17 times during 25 years is clearly indicative of the sorry state of our constitution. The piecemeal amendment of the Constitution is highly unsatisfactory and shows the need for constitutional review. The piecemeal approach destroys the coherence which ought to characterize a constitution. A scrutiny of the proposed Constitutional drafts by the Government Constitutional Commission, the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) and other groups reveals that there are no fundamental or ideological differences that are irreconcilable or non-negotiable. A constitutional accommodation is achievable provided there is commitment on the part of all major players to put the interests of the country first. Any resolution of the polarization which exists now in