COVID-19: Ban all demos, gatherings

IN the case of Zimbabwe, the government has the responsibility to call for elections when they are constitutionally due. The government also has the responsibility of delivering to the people as per its election promises.

Failure to deliver as per its promises can lead to the people removing the government when elections are constitutionally due or through a vote of no confidence by Parliament.

Another legal route will be the resignation of the President, like what the late former President Robert Mugabe did.

Any other way outside the above-mentioned will be illegal and calls for strong measures against the promoters and equally those that participate in same.

The illegal route calls for the government to defend itself by using the law prior to the act been committed or force on the day to protect its right to govern as mandated by the majority who would have voted them into power.

In so doing, the same government will be protecting the vote of the majority, and in the case of Zimbabwe, the over two-thirds voters that voted Zanu PF into Parliament.

The rights of the majority, that is their choice to choose a government to govern them for a period of five years, cannot be violated or taken away by a minority using the same Constitution under the guise of rights to demonstrate and freedom of association.

The rights are not absolute and exercising one’s rights at the expense of another is a violation of the same Constitution.

As such, citizens, the minority in whatever form, also have a responsibility of exercising their rights in a responsible, constitutional manner.

One cannot openly organise or mobilise to remove a constitutionally-elected government before its time is up. It is illegal — a coup using the Constitution.

It is a reality that COVID-19 has brought suffering to the people and this is not limited to Zimbabwe.

Those that have been found wanting in this COVID-19 period are before the courts and have been removed from their offices, which is what is expected from a responsible government.

So, if action has been taken, what is the point of demonstrating?

It can only mean one thing, regime change, neo-colonialism at play and the same must not be allowed to succeed.

Going forward, until the World Health Organisation, an arm of the United Nations, has declared the pandemic over, Zimbabwe, a rich country, but suffering because of sanctions which the United Nations has chosen not to speak against but speak only to further the agenda of neo-colonialists, must ban gatherings and demonstrations of any nature, hence all grievances must be through petitions to be presented to the focus office by not more than a number as stipulated or permitted to gather for whatever reason.

In the case of Zimbabwe, the number currently stands at a maximum of 50.

While the Justice ministry is working on a Bill to rival the equivalent American Logan Act, an Act that criminalises those that work against the interests of America and its people by co-operating with foreigners, the President must as a matter of urgency add to the temporary COVID-19 measures, the ban of demonstrations and such gatherings to protect the lives and rights of the majority that voted the President and the ruling party into power.

As already mentioned, only allow all grievances and dissatisfactions of actions or non-action by the authorities to be expressed through petitions.