Self‑imposed Citizens Coalition for Change secretary‑general Sengezo Tshabangu has threatened to move a motion in Parliament calling for the cancellation of Alpha Media Holdings journalist Blessed Mhlanga’s passport following remarks he made at the Geneva Summit, where he described Zimbabwe as a tyrannical state.
Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Tshabangu labelled Mhlanga “unpatriotic”.
“I listened to @bbmhlanga speaking at the Geneva Summit, and I was deeply moved by his remarks. As an opposition politician and a Senator in the Parliament of Zimbabwe, I will raise a motion in the Senate urging the Government to cancel his passport. Patriotism must be upheld,” Tshabangu wrote.
Speaking in Geneva, Mhlanga said: “This is the new face of repression in Zimbabwe, laced with sophistication. In the past, it was naked violence on the streets, abductions and forced disappearances. It has changed - it is now violence committed through the legal system, what I call ‘lawfare’.”
He added that Zimbabwe had not become more democratic, but rather more sophisticated in its methods of oppression.
“So the world can pretend that Zimbabwe is democratising. But the worst is yet to come. And as a journalist, I will continue my search for the truth. Journalism is all I know; it is all I intend to do,” he said.
The people of Zimbabwe have risked livelihoods, limbs and many have dies to elect MDC/CCC leaders into power on the understanding they will implement democratic reforms, end the Zanu PF dictatorship and replace it with a healthy democratic system of government. Alas! That was not to be.
MDC/CCC leaders have failed to implement even one token reform in 26 years including 5 GNU years when they had the best chance ever to do so. Mugabe bribed them with the trappings of high office, E-Class Mercedes Benz limos for all the deputy ministers, ministers, two deputy PM and PM Tsvangirai; very generous salary and allowances for all elected officials and a US$4m mansion for Tsvangirai. We thought that was all. Wrong!
Top MDC/CCC leaders got farms, cash from RBZ and others benefits; the details of which are only starting to come out now.
“Mazivanhu eMDC adzidza kudya anyerere!” (MDC leaders are enjoying the benefit of being on the gravy train, they will not rock the boat!) boasted Zanu PF cronies when they were asked why MDC leaders were not implementing the reforms during the GNU. It was not an empty boast!
Ever since the GNU debacle, MDC/CCC leaders have conned Zimbabweans to participate in flawed elections knowing fully well that Zanu PF was rigging and that participating would give the regime legitimacy and thus perpetuating it and the nation’s suffering. They have done it regardless because they also knew the regime was offering a few gravy train seats, POLAD and other inducements to entice the opposition to participate no matter how flawed and illegal the election process got!
Like it or not MDC/CCC leaders have become Zanu PF team B in all but name, playing for team A to win and have legitimacy. Mnangagwa has publicly boasted about how well the opposition is helping to keep Zanu PF in power!
Zanu PF has denied the people their fundamental freedoms and rights including freedom of expression to stifle all meaningful debate and democratic accountability. The country media is dominated by the government controlled public media which is the party’s propaganda mouth piece. The regime has harassed and persecuted the private media accusing it of being unpatriotic.
In Zimbabwe saying anything that portrays the nation in the negative light regardless whether it is true and relevant; indeed, especially if it true and relevant; is deemed unpatriotic.
Of course, it is true that Zimbabwe is a failed state in which the regime is riding roughshod over the people denying them their freedom, basic rights and human dignity. Blessed Mhlanga is being punished by the regime for daring speak out against the tyranny and oppression. It is relevant that people speak out against tyranny and oppression - speaking out is as natural as creaming - and it is natural to seek a peaceful means to end one’s suffering.
How ironic that the MDC/CCC leaders, elected by the people to dismantle the Zanu PF dictatorship, have been so thoroughly corrupt by the regime they moved from running with the povo hare by day and hunting with the Zanu PF hounds by night to hunting with the hounds even in broad day! By publicly labelling Mhlanga unpatriotic, Tshabangu is hunting with the Zanu PF hounds in broad daylight. No more hiding!
13 comments:
@ Ziyambi Ziyambi
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi has defended the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Bill (No. 3), saying it seeks to extend election cycles - not presidential term limits - and therefore does not require a national referendum.
Speaking during an interactive meeting with journalists in Harare yesterday, Minister Ziyambi said Sections 91(2) and 328 of the Constitution, which govern presidential term limits, remain unchanged under the proposed amendments.
"The Bill elongates the electoral cycle from five to seven years," he said. "That's all it's doing — to elongate the election cycle from five to seven years for everyone, from councillors to the President. It's not specific to a person. It's the office of the President."
Section 91(2) of the Constitution states that a person is disqualified from election as President or appointment as Vice-President if he or she has already held office as President for two terms, whether continuous or not, with three or more years' service deemed a full term.
Minister Ziyambi emphasised that the Bill does not seek to amend that provision or Section 328(7), which also relates to term limits. He said any amendment to those sections would require a referendum, but the current Bill only proposes changes to Section 95 and related clauses governing election cycles.
"In essence, we elected to uphold the Presidential term limit in its entirety, refraining from any alteration to section 91(2) or any facet of section 328, particularly subsection (7)," he said.
He noted that in 2007, Government reduced the presidential election cycle from six to five years to harmonise it with parliamentary elections without holding a referendum.
According to Minister Ziyambi, referendums are only required for amendments affecting Chapter 4 (Declaration of Rights), Chapter 16 (Agricultural Land), and Section 328 itself, as provided for under Section 328(6) and (9) of the Constitution.
"These assertions are profoundly misguided and demand unequivocal repudiation," he said, dismissing claims that the Bill necessitates a referendum.
This is just nonsense. The people of Zimbabwe elected the president and MPs for a maximum term of five years. It is absurd that the elected individual should then decide to extend their stay in office. If Zanu PF had made it clear that once in office the party would seek to extend the term to 7 years without a referendum the people may have voted differently!
Zimbabwe has been stuck with a dysfunctional political system which has allowed Zanu PF to rig elections and stay in power for 46 years and counting. All the regime has been interested in how to stay in power at all cost, the regime has rigged elections and from time to time has escalated the situation to include blood she such as the njambanja farm invasion, the 2008 Operation Mavhotera Papi electoral coup, the 2017 military coup and the 1983 to 1987 Gukurahundi massacre.
The failure to wrestle political power, the right to a meaningful say in the governance of the country, usurped by Zanu PF has left the nation powerless to stop the economic meltdown as the decades of Zanu PF gross mismanagement and rampant corruption took their toll.
“Seek you first the political kingdom and the rest will be given unto you,” predicted Dr Kwame Nkrumah, first president of Ghana. He was right.
As long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state ruled by vote rigging thugs who believe they have the divine right to govern, Zimbabwe will remain a failed state drifting deeper and deeper into this hell-on-earth we find ourselves in. Amendment 3 seeks to consolidate Zanu PF’s dictatorial powers and not to weaken them.
Still, the most effective way to end the Zanu PF dictatorship in not by fighting the amendment itself but focusing on ensuring the next elections are free and fair or we do no participate to give Zanu PF legitimacy. The amendment has been a decoy to draw attention away from ensuring free and fair elections.
Both Zanu PF and its opposition side-kicks would want the nation to dwell on the decoy than the big issue of ensuring free elections. For once, the nation must set the agenda and not let Zanu PF dictate one!
@ Isaac Makomichi
“Chiwenga’s Uncommon Decency: The Unpower-Hungry Leader Putting Zimbabwe First.”
Was Chiwenga putting Zimbabwe first when he and Mnangagwa stage the 2008 Operation Mavhotera Papi? Chiwenga is a dictator and it is foolish to recycle dictators especially after 46 years of dictators ruling the country!
You are just one of those nincompoops who think leaders like Chiwenga are demigods who do no wrong. How anyone can be so dum and stupid in this day and age beggars belief!
https://www.facebook.com/wilbert.mukori.5/videos/4315669078707299
Mugabe dictated the 2013 constitution and that is why it is weak and feeble and has failed to restore the people's freedoms and rights including the right to free, fair and credible elections. MDC leaders embraced it because they had failed to do anything else.
It is laughable people like Tendai Biti wasted 5 GNU years and failed to submit even one reform proposal are now vowing to climb all the mountains in Dodito, Chiyandambuya, Gwanda, etc. in defence of a dictator's creed! What we really want is to implement all the democratic reforms and a democratic constitution. And for that we must go back to demanding free and fair elections and refused to be conned into participating in flawed elections ever again.
@ John Nyoka
Zimbabweans are an ignorant and gullible lot with a personality cult mentality. This is why we have a propensity to follow leaders blindly like sheep to the slaughter. Chamisa lied about plugging vote rigging loop holes; that was an idiotic lie. Yet millions believed him! As long as there are millions of these brain dead supporters out there, we will never elect a competent government. NEVER!
@ Mugaba
I bet you do not know what the reforms are much less how they are implemented. You should not involve yourself with matter way above your intellectual ability!
@
There is a catch here - Zanu PF blatantly rigged the 2023 elections and both SADC and AU election observers said so. They could not deny Zanu PF legitimacy because millions of Chamisa’s supporters participated. They were warned that if they participate they will give Zanu PF legitimacy. They ignored the warning because they believed Chamisa’s idiotic lies.
It is infinitely easily for Zanu PF to rig a referendum that an election. And any involvement in challenging the amendment will have the same consequence as participating in flawed elections - you will give the process legitimacy.
The amendment is a decoy. The nation should be fighting to have the reforms implement and failure to get that make sure the nation does not participate in flawed elections. It is clear why this has failed to gain any traction. MDC/CCC leaders failed to get even one token reform implemented in 26 years including 5 GNU years. They have never admitted that they sold out and so will avoid the subject at all cost.
@ Isaka
“A decoy that affects our lives. Seriously.”
The failure to hold free, fair and credible elections is the root cause Zimbabwe is a failed state and we are stuck with the Zanu PF dictatorship. The 2017 military coup was offered to remove Mugabe but only to replace him with Mnangagwa, it did not end the dictatorship and that is why it was a decoy.
ED2030 and now upgraded to Amendment 3 is offering to extend Mnangagwa’s rule and stopping it will stop Mnangagwa extending his stay in office before 2028 but that will not stop Zanu PF rigging 2028 elections and imposing another dictator. This is why amendment 3 is a decoy.
Zanu PF does not want the dictatorship dismantled and is forcing the nation to focus on issues that will swap one dictator for another but not those that will end the dictatorship itself! If you are a simpleton a decoy is more important that the real thing!
@ Kang
Both Zanu PF and MDC/CCC leaders do not want to deal with the substantive issue of implementing the democratic reforms to ensure free and fair elections. Zanu PF knows that the party will never win free and fair elections, especially now after decades of gross mismanagement, rampant corruption and tyrannical rule. And so the party has again and again focus the nation to discuss other issues just to avoid the issue of reforms and free elections.
The nation was growing restless for when people realised that the GNU and new constitution had failed to deliver any meaningful economic and political change. The 2017 military coup was offered to to replace Mugabe with Mnangagwa and the nation was foolish enough to fail for it. Of course, it was a decoy, swapping one dictator for another is not the same thing as dismantling the dictatorship itself.
Mnangagwa rigged 2023 elections but to draw attention away from that he throw into the ring ED 2030 Agenda and the gullible went for it like dogs with the bone! ED2030 Agenda has just been up graded to Constitutional Amendment No. 3. The best the nation can ever accomplish fighting the amendment is stopping Mnangagwa extending his stay in office beyond 2028. Zanu PF will rig 2028 elections and impose another Zanu PF dictator. So the bottom line is the nation will still be stuck with the Zanu PF dictatorship.
MDC/CCC leaders do not want to discuss implementing reforms to end the curse of rigged elections because they know they will be forced to explain why they failed to implement the reforms during the GNU. They supported the 2017 military coup and they are making a big song and dance about fighting amendment 3 for the same reason - anything to avoid dealing with issue of implementing reforms.
The people are simple minded, they hardly know the difference between a dictator and a dictatorship and so confuse the replacing of one dictator for another with the end of dictatorship itself. The nation celebrated the 2017 military coup calling it the real independence day. Mnangagwa rigged 2018 elections, a wake up call!
If this amendment No. 3 is stopped, Zimbabweans will once again be celebrating convinced the nation was now on course to be a fully fledged democracy. With no democratic reforms implemented, Zanu PF will once again blatantly rig the next elections - yet another wake up call!!
How many wake-up calls do we need for Pete’s sake!!!!
@ Kanga
He just talks ,says things that he doesn't even understand?
How can he say that the amended of the Constitution is a decoy?
If it's a decoy let him tell us what the real game plan of ZANU pf is?
He's just consuming some propaganda somewhere and coming here womiting it trying to look smart. We need facts, counter arguments based on verifiable information and facts
@ Vivian Siziba
"The democratic reforms that you crave for would be impossible to implement once the mutilation of the constitution is enacted into law."
As long as the Zanu PF dictatorship remains, there will be no free and fair elections. The 2017 coup did not stop Zanu PF rigging the 2018 elections and in like manner stopping amendment No. 3 will not stop Zanu PF rigged the next elections.
@ Mazai
“Sorry, brother, but I am not sure if you had a chance to read the constitution. I went through it, and if implemented and enforceable, Zimbabwe will be heaven on earth. London in Africa.”
The very fact that the new constitution has failed to deliver any of our basic freedoms and rights right across the board speaks volumes of the new constitution. As the supreme law of the land it enforcement or application should not be subject to some other law or parliament enacting a law, not after 13 years since its adaption.
Mugabe dictated the 2013 constitution, it is a dictator’s creed. The nation was warned this is a weak constitution and the last 13 years have proven this to be so. We have people who have no clue what they are talking about, they pretend to know and that is dangerous especially when these people have a vote!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xxlKIlZBr4
Dhara Blessed Mhlanga told UN Geneva Human Right. “So the world can pretend that Zimbabwe is democratising. But the worst is yet to come. And as a journalist, I will continue my search for the truth. Journalism is all I know; it is all I intend to do.” He related his ordeal in Zimbabwe prison and his resolve to continue fighting for freedom and tyranny.
Compare and contrast with what Fadzayi Mahere said at the same platform in 2023. She related her own prison ordeal in a Zimbabwe prison. The difference was that Mahere and her fellow opposition leaders paid lip-service to fighting the Zanu PF dictatorship.
Whilst Mahere readily admits the Zanu PF rigs elections she and her opposition colleagues insist in participating in flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy and perpetuate the dictatorship for a share of the trappings of power. They con their followers to participate with idiotic lies of plugging vote rigging loop holes. Lies they conviently forget soon after each election cycle as they complain of Zanu PF rigging the elections - the very thing they insisted would not happen.
Some international communities are not so easily conned.
Some Nordic nations stopped funding CCC after Fadzayi Mahere's theatrical political back-flip with a double twist. EU bankrolled both Zanu PF and CCC election expense to the tune of over US$2 million for each party. Chamisa failed to deploy over 500 Polling Station elections agents and many more were deployed but have never been paid. The EU donation was supposed to cover these expenses. The money was used to buy cars and farms according to Chalton Hende, a CCC leader. Food for thought for EU officials!
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