By Simply Carrying Out Your Duty, You Can Be Termed An Enemy Of The State - Mliswa

Norton legislator (Independent) Temba Mliswa has bemoaned the deterioration of the democratic space in Zimbabwe saying one can be victimised and labelled an enemy of the state for merely executing his or her own duties. He says he has been under attack for calling for the investigation of “corrupt” Local Government and Public Works Minister, July Moyo. Pindula News presents a series of messages which Mliswa posted on Twitter this Monday:

It is disturbing to note that our democracy has become corrupted to an extent where by simply carrying out one’s duty, you can be termed an enemy of the state and Gvt. This bastardisation extends to the creation of false standards for patriotism and heroes.

We now have patriotism privately framed and delivered for everyone to either fit into its rigidly skewed frame or be termed a sellout. Its shaped according to the convenient and partisan agendas of a select few and not the national vision which benefits the whole country. As a legislator, it’s my duty to hold the Executive to account. It’s both constitutionally provided for and practically a necessity. How, after all, can one tier of Gvt seek to operate unilaterally without accounting to anyone?

However, when I find myself under attack for raising issues of accountability and transparency, as my role as a legislator requires, it becomes apparent that we have very corrupt players among us. July Moyo has been on a rampage with myriad acts of corruption& Gvt has not said anything. Instead, in the instances they have said anything it has been to defend some really shocking agreements. Who can support the shocking terms and conditions of the Pomona deal?

Moyo has been loitering around Councils, forcing shady deals on the councilors& using Cabinet muscle to pass through corrupt deals. He doesn’t attend Parliament where he is required to answer questions but is always hounding councils with a baggage of corrupt deals.

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When we raise these issues, it’s us who become enemies of progress. How is that? Is it a lie that Moyo is an Executive appointment? Where is the insult in asking the responsible authority to act on its problem child?

The whole battalion of Gvt& party communication has failed to explain the justification for such an agreement and instead ignores these shenanigans, choosing to parrot staid saboteur rhetoric when people complain. We are our own saboteurs as a nation.

Why isn’t Gvt releasing an exhaustive statement about this issue? This, so that we know whether its July Moyo’s baby or it’s a whole cartel in Gvt. By being quiet we now suspect it’s a cartel. Everyone else becomes guilty by association!

There are 3 arms of Gvt for a specific reason. To hold each other to account. The problem is that we now have leaders who have fashioned political carriers out of bootlicking & feel that when you raise an issue with a Gvt arm/office, you are insulting or attacking leaders.

The office of the President should be held to account. That is constitutionally provided for and is very legal. You cannot gaslight people into doubting their roles by accusing them of insulting the President because they have questioned certain actions and inactions!

Some weak politicians think staying in their cocoons, bootlicking through inaction and ignoring present national dangers, is the safest path to maintaining their positions and benefits. However, not all of us are keen for that shameful path!