Amnesty urge Mnangagwa to reverse signing of oppressive ‘Patriotic Bill’

Amnesty International has urged President Emmerson Mnangagwa to reverse the signing of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Amendment Bill, mostly commonly known as the “Patriotic Bill” saying that it is “a grave attack on the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association.”

Despite public outrage over the bill, Mnangagwa last week signed it into law. The law contains a clause called the Patriotic Act which imposes penalties on citizens for meeting foreigners to discuss negative things against Zimbabwe.

Amnesty International Deputy Research Director for Southern Africa Khanyo Farisè on Saturday said the draconian law would infringe on the freedom of expression and association hence the President needed to revisit his decision.

“The signing of the ‘Patriotic Bill’ into an Act by the President is a grave attack on the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association,” Farisè said.

“The enactment of the Bill is stronger evidence that the Zimbabwean authorities are bent on further shrinking civic space and silencing dissent.

“We call on President Mnangagwa to reverse his decision and immediately ensure the repeal of the law to demonstrate the commitment of his government to human rights.

“His government must fully and effectively respect, protect, promote and fulfill the rights of everyone to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association.

“The Act fails to meet the requirements of legality, proportionality, and necessity. The penalties provided by the Act include loss of citizenship, denial of the right to vote and the death penalty.

“Imposing these penalties on people simply for peacefully exercising their human rights is patently unconstitutional and incompatible with Zimbabwe’s international human rights obligations.”

The Criminal Law Codification and Reform Amendment Act, 2022, contains overly broad provisions as it criminalizes anyone caught “wilfully injuring the sovereignty and national interest of Zimbabwe” and those who participate in meetings with the intention of promoting calls for economic sanctions against the country.

The Act was first published as a Bill in the Government Gazette on 23 December 2022. The Bill was passed by the lower house of the National Assembly on 31 May 2023 and sailed through the Senate on 7 May 2023. It was signed by the President on 14 July 2023.