News / National
Criminal law amendment will close loopholes, says Zanu-PF
17 Jul 2023 at 01:52hrs | Views
The Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Amendment Act, which was signed into law last Thursday by President Mnangagwa, closes loopholes that were previously taken advantage of by the country's erstwhile detractors and its subsequent enactment is welcome, Zanu-PF has said.
The law, which seeks to punish citizens or permanent residents who campaign for sanctions and trade boycotts against Zimbabwe through lobbying and engaging foreign governments, and cause suffering to ordinary people, became law and has been widely welcomed by the ruling party and the generality of Zimbabweans.
Zanu-PF national spokesperson, Ambassador Christopher Mutsvangwa, yesterday told The Herald that the enactment of the law would ensure those who call for sanctions or unfair measures, are brought to book and face the repercussions of their actions.
He said President Mnangagwa had made the right call in signing the Act as it was "much needed".
"It is patently clear that the Act is a much needed amendment to our 2013 constitution. It closes loopholes that have abetted the likes of Nelson Chamisa and Tendai Biti to go to foreign capitals of London and Washington to lobby for and endorse the heinous and long running Congressional ZIDERA sanctions against Zimbabwe.
"The gnashing of teeth by the post imperialists arise from their umbrage. They know those who they entice to treachery in service to their traits of subversive division and conquer must now factor in preventative national statutes. President Mnangagwa is bold, right and proper to sign the Act into law."
Ambassador Mutsvangwa said the law's enactment would give no leeway to those who seek to soil the country's image and deter its current growth trajectory.
"Zimbabwe of loyal pedigree are rejoicing as they confront foreign animosity and brush aside patent hypocrisy. Traitor prone opposition activists now have nowhere to hide under the law of the land," he said.
Zimbabwe, said Amb Mutsvangwa, had drawn lessons from other nations and had seen it fit to add the piece of legislation to the country's laws.
"The evolution of democratic ethos is through learning from the theory and practice of other nations. Moreso if the lessons are from older established societies of the Anglo-Saxon world," he said. "We have keenly observed the challenges surrounding the long running sagas of Julian Assange and Robert Snowden.
"As we talk, ethnic Chinese academics feel singled out and increasingly hounded as geopolitical tensions ratchet between Washington and Beijing. A phalanx of statutes by the American Congress are being passed. All to address perceptions maybe ill considered, of assumed divided national loyalties," he said.
Amb Mutsvangwa added: "One recalls the persecution of the Japanese Americans in World War II. Also Edgar Hoover and his Soviet era excesses against labelled ‘red communist' sympathisers. Notwithstanding the historical outcry, these statutes still subsist at American law. Surely what is good for the goose is also good for the gander. We have also scrutinised the statutes like the 1779 Logan Act of post revolutionary America and its stand off with then imperial Great Britain."
According to Clause 2 (3) of the new Criminal Law (codification and Reform) Act: "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 . . ."
Turning to the economic stabilisation currently taking place in the country, Amb Mutsvangwa said it was a boon for Zimbabweans.
"President Mnangagwa is fighting and winning the currency war, the last major and decisive battle stand in Zimbabwe's titanic struggle of total decolonisation and full independence.
"The pegging of the Zimdollar to the gold standard is a matter stroke. After all gold is the currency of ages for the past 5 000 years of human civilisation. While the much touted US dollar is a mere 300 years old.
"The President's recourse to the gold standard rides on the national bonanza of gold deposits. The national haul has climbed from 8 tons to 35 tons in 2016-2023."
The law, which seeks to punish citizens or permanent residents who campaign for sanctions and trade boycotts against Zimbabwe through lobbying and engaging foreign governments, and cause suffering to ordinary people, became law and has been widely welcomed by the ruling party and the generality of Zimbabweans.
Zanu-PF national spokesperson, Ambassador Christopher Mutsvangwa, yesterday told The Herald that the enactment of the law would ensure those who call for sanctions or unfair measures, are brought to book and face the repercussions of their actions.
He said President Mnangagwa had made the right call in signing the Act as it was "much needed".
"It is patently clear that the Act is a much needed amendment to our 2013 constitution. It closes loopholes that have abetted the likes of Nelson Chamisa and Tendai Biti to go to foreign capitals of London and Washington to lobby for and endorse the heinous and long running Congressional ZIDERA sanctions against Zimbabwe.
"The gnashing of teeth by the post imperialists arise from their umbrage. They know those who they entice to treachery in service to their traits of subversive division and conquer must now factor in preventative national statutes. President Mnangagwa is bold, right and proper to sign the Act into law."
Ambassador Mutsvangwa said the law's enactment would give no leeway to those who seek to soil the country's image and deter its current growth trajectory.
"Zimbabwe of loyal pedigree are rejoicing as they confront foreign animosity and brush aside patent hypocrisy. Traitor prone opposition activists now have nowhere to hide under the law of the land," he said.
Zimbabwe, said Amb Mutsvangwa, had drawn lessons from other nations and had seen it fit to add the piece of legislation to the country's laws.
"The evolution of democratic ethos is through learning from the theory and practice of other nations. Moreso if the lessons are from older established societies of the Anglo-Saxon world," he said. "We have keenly observed the challenges surrounding the long running sagas of Julian Assange and Robert Snowden.
"As we talk, ethnic Chinese academics feel singled out and increasingly hounded as geopolitical tensions ratchet between Washington and Beijing. A phalanx of statutes by the American Congress are being passed. All to address perceptions maybe ill considered, of assumed divided national loyalties," he said.
Amb Mutsvangwa added: "One recalls the persecution of the Japanese Americans in World War II. Also Edgar Hoover and his Soviet era excesses against labelled ‘red communist' sympathisers. Notwithstanding the historical outcry, these statutes still subsist at American law. Surely what is good for the goose is also good for the gander. We have also scrutinised the statutes like the 1779 Logan Act of post revolutionary America and its stand off with then imperial Great Britain."
According to Clause 2 (3) of the new Criminal Law (codification and Reform) Act: "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 . . ."
Turning to the economic stabilisation currently taking place in the country, Amb Mutsvangwa said it was a boon for Zimbabweans.
"President Mnangagwa is fighting and winning the currency war, the last major and decisive battle stand in Zimbabwe's titanic struggle of total decolonisation and full independence.
"The pegging of the Zimdollar to the gold standard is a matter stroke. After all gold is the currency of ages for the past 5 000 years of human civilisation. While the much touted US dollar is a mere 300 years old.
"The President's recourse to the gold standard rides on the national bonanza of gold deposits. The national haul has climbed from 8 tons to 35 tons in 2016-2023."
Source - The Herald
