The Zimbabwean cabinet led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa has approved new laws that criminalize protests.
The proposed amendments to the Criminal Law (Codification Reforms) Act will also make it a criminal offense for citizens to “cooperate with foreign governments” or allege abductions.
“The amendments will criminalize the conduct of isolated citizens or groups, who for self-gain cooperate or connive with hostile foreign governments to inflict suffering on Zimbabwean citizens and to cause damage to national interests,” Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said.
“Other actions that will become punishable include planned and timed protests deliberately designed to coincide with major international, continental, or regional events or visits. There are also unsubstantiated claims of abductions that are concocted to tarnish the image of government and the amendments will criminalize such conduct,” the minister added.
The Zimbabwean government which is under pressure from the European nations to end abduction and torture of its critics said it was crafting a law to punish citizens that communicate with foreign governments and ‘harm national interests.’
The amendments seem to be the opposite of the proposed Patriot Bill, which the government said it was drafting.
The proposed law was supposed to be modeled along with the United States Logan Act.
The government of Zimbabwe intends to criminalize working with foreign governments without its approval.
Zimbabwe was condemned by both the United Nation and the African Union after security officers clamped down on protests against corruption back in July.
Opposition leader Jacob Ngarivhume was arrested for organizing the protests while investigative journalist, Hopewell Chin’ono, who exposed a corruption scandal where the president’s family was implicated was arrested.
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Several civil society and opposition activists were allegedly abducted by suspected state security officers while others arrested for getting involved in protests.
The female opposition activists, who were abducted and sexually abused earlier this year, are now being charged for allegedly faking their ordeal in order to tarnish Zimbabwe’s image.
A month ago, President Mnangagwa threatened to extradite those who were loyal to the late Mugabe accusing them of influencing South African to adopt a tough stance against his country.
