What Does Patriotism Mean to Zimbabwe and Zimbabweans?

 

I read somewhere that President Emerson Mnangagwa’s seconding a bill that’ll heavily and undeservedly, of course, chastise any Zimbabwean that’ll tarnish the image of the nation. The bill stipulates “any citizen or permanent resident of Zimbabwe (hereinafter in this section called “the accused”) who, within or outside Zimbabwe actively partakes… in any meeting whose object the accused knows or has reasonable grounds for believing involves….military or other armed intervention in Zimbabwe…subverting, upsetting, overthrowing or overturning the constitutional government in Zimbabwe; shall be guilty of willfully damaging the sovereignty and national interest of Zimbabwe and liable to- (i) the same penalties as for treason, in a case referred to in paragraph (a); or (ii) the same penalties as for subverting constitutional government.”

            If anything, this law aims at nothing but to have down on any person ideated as an enemy of the states. By looking at how the law’s verbalized, even if your enemy lies to the authority that you’re meeting or intending to topple the government, you’ll be arrested. The so-called bill’s so gossipy since much of the elements are but mere rumours. For example, what does ‘upsetting or overturning’ the national constitution’ mean while the two terms mean the same? What does it mean if any person–––unsatisfied with it–––has legal power to demand that it be amended or changed?  Isn’t this upsetting the same?  Why using vague terms in writing a bill if there isn’t something fishy?

            Before rummaging into the matter, let’s define what patriotism means. The concept of patriotism or patria (Greek) or one’s native country or homeland, or male power over family evolved over 2,000 years ago in Europe.  The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2020) defines it as “love of one’s country, identification with it, and special concern for its well-being and that of compatriots.” Does Mnangagwa practically love his country? How if he toppled an elected government? How if he’s never had any concern for the well-being of his compatriots in the opposition? How if corruption and selfishness have always been rife in his regime? How if Mnangagwa’s seconding the bill that aims to bully and strong-arm a big section of Zimbabweans to crouch before his narrow but not national gains?

Some reporters called this law draconic. Nay. It’s more than that. It’s purely archaic, colonial, and obnoxious. If anything, this is nothing but puerile excuse if not the sign that desperados have run out of gas if not road. Government lawyers who advised it to bring such a deplorable bill–––that aims to enact bad laws–––seem to not know the history of Zimbabwe, especially the 2017. How did Mnangagwa get in power and where did he come from? He met with his conspirators in South Africa and toppled Mugabe. He did exactly the same he’s now diabolising. Swahili sage’s that the simian doesn’t see its nates. Therefore, it laughs those of other simians. In Latin, you can call this holier than thou idiocy. Mnangagwa must say mea culpa, mea culpa, as he guiltily lashes his chest, rescind the bill and apologise to the Zimbabweans.

  In law, what Mnangagwa did wasn’t only traitorous by all laws and standards since two elements of criminal liabilities, namely actus reus (act or omission) and mens rea (malice aforethought or intention to commit an offence) are openly demonstrably present. How d’you tie Mnangagwa to his bill and find him criminally liable? He conspired with others, met them in South Africa, and keeled an elected government. Was that a patriotic act, if we consider the fact that if Zimbabweans didn’t omit to stop this treason since the overthrower and his dupe were bow-wows, Mnangagwa’s treasonable acts would have sent Zimbabwe tumbling down due to the mayhem that’d have ensured thereof.

Let me look at this law that’s specifically aimed at bullying and intimidating Zimbabweans from hold the regime accountable. Are Zimbabwean rulers patriotic in the first place? How if tons of ignominies are the only things that define them. Let’s examine them clinically. Al Jazeera (Dec. 12, 2022) reports as thus “the US Treasury Department accused Emmerson Mnangagwa Jr of ties to sanctioned businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei.” All Zimbabweans know what this scandal entrails in details. True patriots never rape juveniles or the economies of their country. Are the accused persons above patriots? Like father like son the sage has it. The proposed law is not only bad but also evil.

Source: Independent Zimbabwe today.