Concerns Rising for Zimbabwean Human Rights as Election Date Approaches

Diaspora organisations working with Action for Southern Africa (ACTSA) in the UK expressed their concerns on the passing into law of the so called ‘Patriotic Bill’ in Zimbabwe last Friday.

The Criminal Law Codification and Reform Amendment Bill, commonly referred to as the Patriotic Bill, punishes Zimbabweans for “wilfully injuring the sovereignty and national interest of Zimbabwe’. Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights spokesperson, Kumbirai Mafunda, described the latest move by President Mnangagwa as a “sad day for democracy” in Zimbabwe. “We are saddened that Zimbabwe is taking a route that is retrogressive in terms of hampering citizens from exercising their rights. We are quite taken aback by a government that had made promises that it will enhance or make people enjoy their rights. We are seeing this happening towards an election and this shows that the government does not want any constructive criticism and constructive advice,” Mafunda said.

Spokespersons for Restoration of Human Rights (ROHR), Change Radio, Zimbabwe Democracy Institute, Women of Zimbabwe, and My Right to Vote, called attention to the timing of the Bill – just a month before the 2023 election – as well as the broad reach of the legislation “drafted so vaguely as to be a catch-all net which can allow the law to be weaponized against anyone using their democratic right to freedom of speech to critique the government”.

ACTSA added “it was disappointing to see The African Society of Cambridge University choose this particular time to invite Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa to speak at Jesus College today, Monday 17 July. Billed as a ‘fireside chat’ on leadership, resilience and the future, ACTSA considers the context incongruous since elected MPs in Zimbabwe are being held in detention on politically motivated charges, while an unelected spokesperson is welcomed at one of the world’s leading universities”.

ACTSA asks if the following question would be allowed under the new law, and if so, please could the chair of the African Society at Cambridge University ask it: “‘Why has MP Job Sikhala been held in detention for over a year on trumped up charges and denied his constitutional right to bail?’”.

The cases of Job Sikhala MP, Jacob Ngarivhume and others were raised in the House of Lords again last week on 6 July, while the reports of a violent attack on human rights lawyer Obey Shava were still coming through diplomatic reporting lines to the Minister Lord Ahmad (see extracts from Hansard below).

Pro-democracy activists said “The attacks on democracy are grotesque. We call again on the Commonwealth, SADC regional leadership, United Nations Africa, and African Union to play their part when it matters, which is before, not after elections. Given the 2018 Motlanthe Commission recommendations have been ignored by the present government, why is anyone still hoping for elections to be free and fair?”

Please find the Hansard extract of the House of Lords’ questions to the government on July 6 2023, here: