A Stalinist law that stops people in a free and independent Zimbabwe from criticising the Head of State has no place in a democratic society. Even the messiah was called names.
In the past year many people from all walks of life have been arrested and charged for insulting Mugabe. Many have languished in police cells for weeks or even months just for sharing their honest opinion. And Zanu (PF) wonders why Zimbabweans have deserted their party in droves! The people do not want a leader who refuses to admit the possibility of error or failure, or who regards his personal opinions as unquestionably correct. They want a human being who accepts that he can fail and that people have the right to criticise him.
Why shouldn’t we be able to say ‘Mugabe is old and senile’ or ‘Mugabe must go’ or ‘Mugabe chibva; Mugabe chifa; Mugabe chienda’? Why shouldn’t we wish him dead to avenge our relatives, friends or colleagues who were killed by his supporters for refusing to support him?
Is there any justification for a law that protects an individual from criticism when they occupy the highest political office in our land? Mugabe’s hubristic view of himself has created the mess that Zimbabwe faces today and we should be free to call him ‘stupid, deranged, or old’. If we want to pray for his death then so be it. If we want to engender feelings of hostility towards or cause hatred, contempt or ridicule of the person of Robert Mugabe or make abusive, indecent or obscene statements about or concerning him then it is a free country. That is what we fought for. We have allowed Mugabe to get away with so many things. It is now time to tell him that he is not a god or a messiah; that we will call him whatever we please because Zimbabwe will never be a colony again. – Gabriel Gidi, by email
Post published in: Letters to the Editor