Innocent Mujeri
In recent weeks, there have been sustained attacks on the proposed Patriotic Bill by those in the opposition circles who took every opportunity available to thwart and demonise it.
Even those who are not well versed with how laws are formulated have suddenly become experts wanting to add their unscholarly voices on the Patriotic Bill. Some have gone to an extent of erroneously dismissing the Bill as a tool that will be used by the Government to muzzle citizens from expressing themselves. Political activists such as Hopewell Chin’ono, Fadzayi Mahere and little known Namatai Kwekweza have been vocal about the Bill and have been using their social media platforms to urge citizens not to support the Bill.
But what’s wrong with the Patriotic Bill that it is hated by the opposition? Is Zimbabwe the first country in the world to enact such a law? What will be the benefits of the Patriotic Bill to the country if it becomes a law?
According to Merriam Webber dictionary, patriotism is the love for or devotion to one's country. Along with love, patriotism is the feeling of pride, devotion, and attachment to a homeland, as well as a feeling of attachment to other patriotic citizens.Simply stated, patriotism is the feeling of love for one’s country. Being patriotic is therefore one of the necessities of being the stereotypical good citizen. Arguably, few countries survive and prosper without some degree of patriotism among their people. This is so because a love of country and shared pride bring the people together, helping them endure challenges. In the case of Zimbabwe, without shared patriotic beliefs, the freedom fighters may not have chosen to travel the thorny bushes to neighbouring countries to take up arms to fight our former colonial masters.
But why are the opposition frowning on the Patriotic Bill? It is evident that the opposition thrives on speaking evil of the country to gain cheap political mileage. They therefore know that just like the America’s Logan Act, the Patriotic Bill will deter them from dining and wining with the country’s detractors for their selfish gains. According to Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Permanent Secretary, Mrs Virginia Mabhiza, the Patriotic Bill is premised on the constitutional provision on the foreign policy of our country, which values the promotion and protection of the national interests of Zimbabwe. The Bill will also deter private citizens from traveling to foreign countries as self-appointed ambassadors, meeting foreign officials to undermine the national interest.
It is not a secret that since the early 2000, the opposition leadership has been criss- crossing the world speaking bad of the country and on some extreme cases, begging sanctions in order to cause regime change in the country. Several Zimbabwean opposition politicians and prominent civil society leaders have often been accused of engaging hostile foreign governments to try to influence them to dislodge the ruling party for their political gain. The coming of the Patriotic Bill will therefore put a stop to all this unpatriotic acts, hence its resistance by members of the opposition.
Before opposing the Patriotic Bill, those opposing it should know that that the Bill draws from similar legislation in other jurisdictions such as the Logan Act in the United States of America. The Logan Act prohibits citizens from negotiating with other nations on behalf of the United States without authorisation and makes it a crime for a citizen to confer with foreign governments against the interests of the United States. Surprisingly, the American citizens who are held in high esteem by our friends in the opposition have never made noise about the Act. Instead, they have supported it wholeheartedly as it instills a spirit of patriotism and love for their country in them. If truth be told, the Patriotic Bill is a progressive legislation as it protects the interests of the country. The fact that the onslaught against Zimbabwe has reached a level where the nation’s sovereignty and national interest are constantly under threat makes such a law relevant and long overdue.
Another reason why the opposition is against the Patriotic Bill is that it will rob them a chance to lie about the political situation in Zimbabwe. According to Permanent Secretary Mabhiza, the Patriotic Bill will make it clear that it is the duty of the State to engage other sovereign nations on issues pertaining to foreign relations, and not self-serving citizens. The Bill will also prohibit shameful conduct such as private correspondence with foreign governments or any officer or agent including false statements influencing foreign governments, or any other such conduct aimed at undermining the country. This is what is making the opposition angry as the Bill will criminalise every lie they say about Zimbabwe to the outside world.
Again, those opposing the Patriotic Bill should be reminded that every sovereign nation is entitled to protect its domestic integrity from external interference. In this light, the Patriot Bill is a vital legislation to protect the country’s interests against both internal and external detractors. The Patriotic Bill is not weaponization of the law by the Government against its citizens in order to control, intimidate and stifle them as being wrongly said by those in the opposition. The Bill only creates a sense of alarm and discomfiture to those who were politically gaining from speaking evil against their motherland.
Instead of opposing the Patriotic Bill, the opposition should instead proffer suggestions on how the Bill could be improved to best serve the interests of the country. Again, the opposition should be reminded that patriotism is love of country. They should know that one can’t love his or her country without loving his or countrymen and countrywomen. The opposition should know that we don’t always have to agree, but we must empower each other, we must find the common ground, we must build bridges across our differences to pursue the common good. Sooner or later, the Patriotic Bill will be passed into law and the opposition should instead start to familiarise themselves with the Bill because any diversion from the dictates of the Bill will land them in jail.
