Opinion / Columnist
Legislating patriotism will never silence Zimbabwe's real patriots
4 hrs ago | Views
The circus of Zimbabwe continues!
Once again, we find ourselves witnessing the familiar theatrics of excitable ZANU PF legislators, now feverishly pushing for the enactment of a so-called "National Ideology" in Parliament.
To directly receive articles from Tendai Ruben Mbofana, please join his WhatsApp Channel on: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaqprWCIyPtRnKpkHe08
Their argument?
That Zimbabweans must love their country unconditionally - even in the face of evident national decay - and that those who dare to voice their disapproval of government failures should be criminalised for supposedly "speaking evil" of their own country.
According to these MPs, patriotism means silence in the face of pain, loyalty in the face of injustice, and praise even when hospitals lack medicine, schools have crumbled, and poverty has swallowed over 80% of the population.
But let us not be fooled.
These proposals are not new, nor are they sincere.
We have heard these same tired mantras before.
Just a few years ago, ZANU PF pushed for and celebrated the passage of the so-called "Patriotic Act" in 2023, a deeply flawed and fascist-sounding piece of legislation meant to criminalize those who "undermine national interests."
At the time, it was hailed by the ruling party as a triumph of national pride.
And yet, more than a year later, not a single Zimbabwean has been arrested - let alone convicted - under this law.
Why?
Because despite the political grandstanding and propaganda, the truth is simple: no Zimbabwean has ever stood on any global platform to denigrate their own country, or negotiated with foreign governments to impose sanctions, or attempted to destabilize Zimbabwe.
That reality exposes the lie behind the ruling party's narrative.
The claims that some Zimbabweans "hate their country" and are bent on sabotaging it are nothing more than cheap propaganda.
What we do have are Zimbabweans - myself included - who love this country deeply, and are ready to defend it from plunderers and parasites masquerading as leaders.
We are not enemies of Zimbabwe; we are its most loyal defenders.
But we will not stay silent as a small clique enriches itself through looting and corruption, while millions are condemned to lives of destitution.
That silence is not patriotism.
That is cowardice.
Real patriotism is the courage to speak out when our beloved country is being wrecked from within.
In fact, the so-called "Patriotic Act" recently suffered a massive blow in court.
In a landmark ruling delivered just this past week, Justice Rodgers Manyangadze struck down Section 22A (3) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Amendment Act No. 10 of 2023.
The provision, which criminalized mere participation in meetings discussing sanctions against Zimbabwe - and imposed penalties such as loss of citizenship, restrictions on voting, and bans from holding public office - was declared vague, overly broad, and unconstitutional.
The court found that the law infringed on key fundamental rights, including freedom of expression, association, and political participation, as enshrined in Sections 58, 61, and 67 of the Constitution.
This judgment is a clear confirmation that legislating patriotism - especially with the intent to muzzle dissent - is not only morally bankrupt but legally untenable.
Even Zimbabwe's own courts, often viewed with skepticism regarding their independence, could not justify the repression embedded in that section of the law.
While the court did uphold Section 22A (2), which criminalizes participation in foreign-led efforts to overthrow the government, it rightly drew a sharp line between defending sovereignty and suppressing citizens' rights to question authority.
How can any true patriot keep quiet while billions are stolen from public coffers, hospitals operate without basic supplies, schools deteriorate, and young people's futures are shattered?
Criticizing a government that is leading a nation to ruin is not "bad-mouthing" the country - it is the highest form of loyalty.
And we must be careful not to confuse the country with the government, or worse, with the ruling party.
This dangerous conflation is deliberate and has been used repeatedly to stifle dissent.
But Zimbabwe is not ZANU PF.
Zimbabwe is not Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Zimbabwe is a sovereign nation of over 15 million citizens, whose loyalty lies with their fellow people - not with those in power.
Across the world, it is normal - indeed necessary - for citizens to criticize their governments.
For instance, right now there are mass protests, dubbed "No Kings," taking place in the United States against President Donald Trump.
The protests, organized by a coalition of civic groups, are aimed at rejecting what they describe as "authoritarianism, billionaire-first politics, and the militarization of our democracy."
According to the organizers' website, they oppose the administration's "defiance of the courts, deportation of Americans, attacks on civil rights, and cuts to social services."
Yet, despite the strong criticism directed at the sitting president and his policies, the protesters have not been labeled unpatriotic, nor have they been arrested for "speaking evil" of their country.
Instead, law enforcement agencies have been present to protect their right to demonstrate.
That is what democracy looks like - where patriotism is expressed through participation, not silence, and where criticism of those in power is protected, not punished.
Ironically, the United States does have a law often referred to as the "Patriotic Act" - the Logan Act of 1799 - which prohibits unauthorized negotiations by private citizens with foreign governments.
But in its 226-year history, it has only been invoked twice, and never used to punish dissent or political criticism.
That's the difference between a mature democracy and a regime bent on authoritarian control.
In a functioning democracy, disagreement with leadership is not a crime - it is an essential part of nation-building.
Those in ZANU PF pushing for a National Ideology are either dangerously ignorant of how democratic societies operate, or they are deliberately attempting to shield their failings from public scrutiny.
Let's call this what it really is: a smokescreen.
These loud calls for enforced patriotism are meant to distract from the abject failures of the Mnangagwa administration.
Had this government actually delivered meaningful development, there would be no need to silence critics.
But with a rapidly deteriorating economy, public outrage is growing - loudly, and justifiably.
Even within ZANU PF itself, the cracks are becoming impossible to ignore.
Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has, of late, slammed corrupt elites within the party, whom he labeled "Zvigananda" - leeches feeding off state contracts without tender or transparency.
These individuals, enriching themselves at the public's expense, have become emblematic of the rot in the system.
If Chiwenga, a top official in the government, can express concern over corruption and abuse, is he too now "unpatriotic"?
Should he be jailed for speaking ill of the country?
Instead of wasting time debating an unenforceable and irrelevant National Ideology, our Parliament should be holding the executive to account.
Why aren't they discussing the suspicious awarding of a nearly half-a-billion-dollar cancer equipment tender to a company allegedly linked to controversial tenderpreneur Wicknell Chivayo?
Why is no one questioning how R800 million (approximately US$42 million) from a South African company, supposedly for election materials, ended up in accounts tied to the same individual?
Why hasn't there been a full investigation into how Ren-Form CC secured the contract in the first place - and why the cost was so astronomically inflated?
And what about the $3 billion lost under the so-called Command Agriculture scheme involving Sakunda Holdings and its owner Kudakwashe Tagwirei?
Wouldn't a patriotic Parliament want answers on how such colossal funds disappeared while citizens go hungry and hospitals turn away patients for lack of basic drugs?
It is time we reject these hollow slogans and manipulative political maneuvers.
The most patriotic act any Zimbabwean can perform today is to demand an end to corruption, misgovernance, and looting.
We must reclaim our institutions from self-serving elites and bring back dignity to the millions who once took pride in their identity as Zimbabweans.
No law can manufacture patriotism.
And no law can suppress the truth forever.
We, the people, are the custodians of this great nation's soul - and we will not be silenced.
© Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice advocate and writer. Please feel free to WhatsApp or Call: +263715667700 | +263782283975, or email: mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com, or visit website: https://mbofanatendairuben.news.blog/
Once again, we find ourselves witnessing the familiar theatrics of excitable ZANU PF legislators, now feverishly pushing for the enactment of a so-called "National Ideology" in Parliament.
To directly receive articles from Tendai Ruben Mbofana, please join his WhatsApp Channel on: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaqprWCIyPtRnKpkHe08
Their argument?
That Zimbabweans must love their country unconditionally - even in the face of evident national decay - and that those who dare to voice their disapproval of government failures should be criminalised for supposedly "speaking evil" of their own country.
According to these MPs, patriotism means silence in the face of pain, loyalty in the face of injustice, and praise even when hospitals lack medicine, schools have crumbled, and poverty has swallowed over 80% of the population.
But let us not be fooled.
These proposals are not new, nor are they sincere.
We have heard these same tired mantras before.
Just a few years ago, ZANU PF pushed for and celebrated the passage of the so-called "Patriotic Act" in 2023, a deeply flawed and fascist-sounding piece of legislation meant to criminalize those who "undermine national interests."
At the time, it was hailed by the ruling party as a triumph of national pride.
And yet, more than a year later, not a single Zimbabwean has been arrested - let alone convicted - under this law.
Why?
Because despite the political grandstanding and propaganda, the truth is simple: no Zimbabwean has ever stood on any global platform to denigrate their own country, or negotiated with foreign governments to impose sanctions, or attempted to destabilize Zimbabwe.
That reality exposes the lie behind the ruling party's narrative.
The claims that some Zimbabweans "hate their country" and are bent on sabotaging it are nothing more than cheap propaganda.
What we do have are Zimbabweans - myself included - who love this country deeply, and are ready to defend it from plunderers and parasites masquerading as leaders.
We are not enemies of Zimbabwe; we are its most loyal defenders.
But we will not stay silent as a small clique enriches itself through looting and corruption, while millions are condemned to lives of destitution.
That silence is not patriotism.
That is cowardice.
Real patriotism is the courage to speak out when our beloved country is being wrecked from within.
In fact, the so-called "Patriotic Act" recently suffered a massive blow in court.
In a landmark ruling delivered just this past week, Justice Rodgers Manyangadze struck down Section 22A (3) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Amendment Act No. 10 of 2023.
The provision, which criminalized mere participation in meetings discussing sanctions against Zimbabwe - and imposed penalties such as loss of citizenship, restrictions on voting, and bans from holding public office - was declared vague, overly broad, and unconstitutional.
The court found that the law infringed on key fundamental rights, including freedom of expression, association, and political participation, as enshrined in Sections 58, 61, and 67 of the Constitution.
This judgment is a clear confirmation that legislating patriotism - especially with the intent to muzzle dissent - is not only morally bankrupt but legally untenable.
Even Zimbabwe's own courts, often viewed with skepticism regarding their independence, could not justify the repression embedded in that section of the law.
While the court did uphold Section 22A (2), which criminalizes participation in foreign-led efforts to overthrow the government, it rightly drew a sharp line between defending sovereignty and suppressing citizens' rights to question authority.
How can any true patriot keep quiet while billions are stolen from public coffers, hospitals operate without basic supplies, schools deteriorate, and young people's futures are shattered?
Criticizing a government that is leading a nation to ruin is not "bad-mouthing" the country - it is the highest form of loyalty.
And we must be careful not to confuse the country with the government, or worse, with the ruling party.
This dangerous conflation is deliberate and has been used repeatedly to stifle dissent.
But Zimbabwe is not ZANU PF.
Zimbabwe is not Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Across the world, it is normal - indeed necessary - for citizens to criticize their governments.
For instance, right now there are mass protests, dubbed "No Kings," taking place in the United States against President Donald Trump.
The protests, organized by a coalition of civic groups, are aimed at rejecting what they describe as "authoritarianism, billionaire-first politics, and the militarization of our democracy."
According to the organizers' website, they oppose the administration's "defiance of the courts, deportation of Americans, attacks on civil rights, and cuts to social services."
Yet, despite the strong criticism directed at the sitting president and his policies, the protesters have not been labeled unpatriotic, nor have they been arrested for "speaking evil" of their country.
Instead, law enforcement agencies have been present to protect their right to demonstrate.
That is what democracy looks like - where patriotism is expressed through participation, not silence, and where criticism of those in power is protected, not punished.
Ironically, the United States does have a law often referred to as the "Patriotic Act" - the Logan Act of 1799 - which prohibits unauthorized negotiations by private citizens with foreign governments.
But in its 226-year history, it has only been invoked twice, and never used to punish dissent or political criticism.
That's the difference between a mature democracy and a regime bent on authoritarian control.
In a functioning democracy, disagreement with leadership is not a crime - it is an essential part of nation-building.
Those in ZANU PF pushing for a National Ideology are either dangerously ignorant of how democratic societies operate, or they are deliberately attempting to shield their failings from public scrutiny.
Let's call this what it really is: a smokescreen.
These loud calls for enforced patriotism are meant to distract from the abject failures of the Mnangagwa administration.
Had this government actually delivered meaningful development, there would be no need to silence critics.
But with a rapidly deteriorating economy, public outrage is growing - loudly, and justifiably.
Even within ZANU PF itself, the cracks are becoming impossible to ignore.
Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has, of late, slammed corrupt elites within the party, whom he labeled "Zvigananda" - leeches feeding off state contracts without tender or transparency.
These individuals, enriching themselves at the public's expense, have become emblematic of the rot in the system.
If Chiwenga, a top official in the government, can express concern over corruption and abuse, is he too now "unpatriotic"?
Should he be jailed for speaking ill of the country?
Instead of wasting time debating an unenforceable and irrelevant National Ideology, our Parliament should be holding the executive to account.
Why aren't they discussing the suspicious awarding of a nearly half-a-billion-dollar cancer equipment tender to a company allegedly linked to controversial tenderpreneur Wicknell Chivayo?
Why is no one questioning how R800 million (approximately US$42 million) from a South African company, supposedly for election materials, ended up in accounts tied to the same individual?
Why hasn't there been a full investigation into how Ren-Form CC secured the contract in the first place - and why the cost was so astronomically inflated?
And what about the $3 billion lost under the so-called Command Agriculture scheme involving Sakunda Holdings and its owner Kudakwashe Tagwirei?
Wouldn't a patriotic Parliament want answers on how such colossal funds disappeared while citizens go hungry and hospitals turn away patients for lack of basic drugs?
It is time we reject these hollow slogans and manipulative political maneuvers.
The most patriotic act any Zimbabwean can perform today is to demand an end to corruption, misgovernance, and looting.
We must reclaim our institutions from self-serving elites and bring back dignity to the millions who once took pride in their identity as Zimbabweans.
No law can manufacture patriotism.
And no law can suppress the truth forever.
We, the people, are the custodians of this great nation's soul - and we will not be silenced.
© Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice advocate and writer. Please feel free to WhatsApp or Call: +263715667700 | +263782283975, or email: mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com, or visit website: https://mbofanatendairuben.news.blog/
Source - Tendai Ruben Mbofana
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