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Peta Thornycroft

Zimbabwe is poised to introduce draconian laws to silence its critics, both at home and abroad, who face 20 years in jail if they “publish or communicate a falsehood”.
Opposition members have condemned the measures as “the most fascist legislation this country has known”. The Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Bill, went through its second parliamentary reading last week despite a multi-party report from the legal committee which described parts of it as “unconstitutional”.

It is the latest in a series of harsh security laws. Media legislation, the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, was toughened up earlier this month to provide a jail sentence of up to two years for journalists found practicing without accreditation.

David Coltart, legal secretary of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, said: “The section relating to crimes against the state in this bill embodies the most fascist legislation this country has known, far worse than the most draconian laws passed by the Smith regime. The sentence of up to 20 years amounts to a death sentence in Zimbabwe’s prisons.”

The latest law, which comes among a rush of new Bills, ahead of elections next March, makes it an offence to publish or communicate “to any other person a statement which is wholly or materially false with the intention of realising that there is a real risk of inciting or promoting public disorder or public violence or endangering public safety or, adversely affecting the defense and economic interests of Zimbabwe: or undermining public confidence in a law enforcement agency, the Prison Service or the Defense Forces of Zimbabwe; or interfering with, disrupting or interrupting any essential service,” that person “shall be guilty of publishing or communicating a false statement prejudicial to the State and liable to a fine up to or exceeding level 14 or imprisonment for a period not exceeding 20 years or both.”
Critics have condemned the slack phrasing of the bill. “The question of what is a falsehood will depend on which judge hears the case,” said Beatrice Mtetwa, a human rights lawyer.

Zimbabwe Independent
Editor’s Memo

By Vincent Kahiya

A MARTIN Luther King commandment says “refrain from violence of the fist, tongue and heart”.

Most people can stop themselves from hitting others out of fear of arrest and can bite their tongue to refrain from saying something mean, but violence of the heart is challenging. Following this rule is imperative because things we think about, sooner or later, are going to come out in our actions.

Violent conduct in an individual comes from the heart. It controls the fist and the tongue. No wonder fists are raised menacingly when rulers proclaim “degrees in violence” or when they implore supporters “to strike fear in the heart of the white man”. The next time they stand up to preach peace, tolerance and co-existence the violent heart will still be beating.

In political parties violence is rarely regarded as a virtue. It is quickly denied and condemned even when it is at the heart of a party’s activities. But as long as violence has an imprint in the heart of the party no amount of cover-up and denial can hide its ugly face. Sooner or later it will come out in actions such as physical assaults, verbal attacks and other subtle threats.

The assault on Harare North MP Trudy Stevenson this week by youths allegedly aligned to the Tsvangirai-led MDC provides useful insight into intra-party violence and useful lessons of what happens when violence of the heart is not dealt with expressly.

Tsvangirai’s camp has denied culpability in the assault on the feisty but small and frail woman. Stevenson’s camp has fingered Tsvangirai’s supporters for the violence.

Tsvangirai’s secretary-general Tendai Biti in a statement denounced the assault on Stevenson. He said his faction did not support violence and wished Trudy a speedy recovery.