Political Activists Condemn Passage Of 'Patriotic Bill' In Parliament
The founder of the #ThisFlag movement Evan Mawarire condemned the passage of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Amendment Bill in the ZANU PF-dominated National Assembly (Lower House of Parliament) on Thursday.
The proposed law contains the contentious Patriotic clause that seeks to punish Zimbabweans who speak badly about the country or associate with foreign diplomats or any other foreigners discussing such issues.
Mawarire said the Bill criminalises citizens’ rights such as freedom of speech, freedom of association, and assembly. He wrote:
Very sad day for Zimbabwe. Parliament passed the draconian Patriot Act.
It criminalizes freedom of speech, freedom of association, and assembly and disallows Zimbabwe citizens from engaging foreign government officials.
Zimbabwe has become far worse than any of us imagined.
Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) spokesperson and lawyer Fadzayi Mahere said:
Did you know? A person convicted under the “Patriotic Bill” can potentially face the death sentence.
This violation of the right to life under Section 48 of the Constitution which says the death penalty can only be imposed for murder committed by men between 21-70 years.
Harare East MP, Tendai Biti (CCC), who vigorously debated against the passing of the Bill in the National Assembly said:
It was a day indeed as Parliament passed the Patriot Bill this evening.
The new law is an unprecedented law that seeks to proscribe freedom of association, assembly, and speech of any citizen holding a meeting with a foreign government.
Not even Apartheid Rhodesia passed such repugnant law.
The Bill seeks to amend the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23], which has four clauses, three of which have been described as progressive excluding Clause 2.
Clause 3 will amend Section 65 of the Principal Act to make 15 years the minimum required punishment for rape, in response to the rise in crimes of sexual violence and rape.
Clause 4 proposes to amend Section 155 of the main Act’s definition of dangerous drugs to include prepared opium, prepared cannabis resin, and a drug schedule.
Clause 5 proposes to amend Section 174 of the main Act as the existing definition of criminal abuse of office, as provided for in Section 174 (i), is fairly broad, allowing public officials to be charged for honest mistakes made while doing their duties.
At least 99 Members of Parliament voted in favour of the amendments while 17 voted against resulting in the adoption of the amendments.
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi’s proposed amendments to Clause 2 (3) read as follows:
Any citizen or permanent resident of Zimbabwe who, within or outside Zimbabwe, intentionally partakes in any meeting, whose object or one of whose objects the accused knows, or has reasonable grounds for believing involves the consideration of or the planning for the implementation or enlargement of sanctions or a trade boycott against Zimbabwe (whether those sanctions or that boycott is untargeted or targets any individual or official, or class of individuals or officials), but whose effects indiscriminately affect the people of Zimbabwe as a whole, or any substantial section thereof shall be guilty of wilfully damaging the sovereignty and national interest of Zimbabwe and liable to…
The clause provides penalties that include a fine not exceeding level twelve or imprisonment for a period not exceeding 10 years, or both.
The Bill sailed through after the Parliamentary Legal Committee issued a Non-Adverse Report on amendments that had been adopted.
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