We’ll choke opposition: Zanu PF

● Ruling party targets opposition, CSOs in retaliation for sanctions

THE ruling Zanu PF party yesterday announced that it will use its parliamentary majority to tighten screws on civic society organisations and the opposition, whom it accuses of calling for more sanctions against its administration. The West, notably United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK), have said they are considering more sanctions against President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his government.

The US is looking at restricting local exports because of worker suppression by the government, while the UK is unimpressed by the worsening human rights situation and corruption cases involving Mnangagwa’s family.

Zanu PF acting spokesperson Patrick Chinamasa told journalists

during a party Press conference in Harare that they would respond to the measures proposed by the UK by piling pressure on “surrogate” citizens.

“Their (UK) threats to tighten sanctions on us at a time our government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is spearheading the President’s re-engagement and engagement strategy is regrettable,” Chinamasa said.

“If the British and Americans continue on that regrettable path, we will, through our Legislature, mobilise tough measures on their surrogates and sycophants here,” he said.

Chinamasa said the party would target the opposition and civic society through legislation.

“Our Parliament is ready and our people are ready. We are tired of being punch bags of this Uncle Tom politics,” he said.

Government has already started amending the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act to make it a criminal offence for private citizens to negotiate with a foreign government.

Chinamasa said the law would be used as a weapon to punish alleged “surrogates and sycophants of the West”.

“I thought I had already mentioned that the government is putting in place and debating legislation to hit the surrogates and sycophants and agencies who are among us, who are citizens of Zimbabwe ... we have power over our citizens, our citizens should not commit treasonous acts,” he said.

Mnangagwa also announced during his speech on the official opening of the Third Session of the Ninth Parliament of Zimbabwe that the Legislature will consider a Bill to regulate errant non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that do not operate in sync with government programmes.

“The British Parliament, where the blatant lies were made, among them that (suspended Zimbabwe Miners Federation president Henrietta) Rushwaya ... is a niece of President Mnangagwa. They also insinuate that Henrietta was doing so supposedly on behalf of the First Family. This is not only a ridiculous claim, but one that makes us question the mental faculties of the so-called House of Lords,” Chinamasa said.

Zanu PF believes there is an attempt by the UK to smear the name of Mnangagwa by fingering him in acts of corruption, looting and plunder.

“That was below the bar attempt to smear the global standing of our nation and President,” he said.

MDC Alliance secretary-general Chalton Hwende said they were not worried about Chinamasa’s utterances because already, the ruling party was repressive against the opposition and NGOs.

“As far as we are concerned, we know that Zanu PF has suspended the Constitution and any legality in Zimbabwe. Our members continue to be victimised without adherence to the Constitution and many are facing various charges. Whether they tighten regulations, it does not make any difference because Zanu PF is an autocratic regime,” he said.

“We are going to fight them in the streets. It is our democratic right to do so. We are not worried by their pronouncements because in any case they do not follow the Constitution.”

Chinamasa also rubbished opposition MDC-T leader Thokozani Khupe’s push for a government of national unity.

“The opposition must know that once they lose an election, they have no right to be in government. We have a twothirds majority in Parliament and we won the election resoundingly, and so why should we have a government of national unity?” Chinamasa asked.

There has been speculation that since Khupe took over the MDC-T leadership in an acting capacity and asserted herself as the leader of the opposition in Parliament, she would soon sweet talk Zanu PF into a coalition government.

Chinamasa’s utterances on sanctions also came at a time the US went to the polls yesterday, and analysts have pointed out that whether current President Donald Trump or Joe Biden wins the elections, the US-Zimbabwe relations would remain frosty and the sanctions regime would be maintained.

Political analyst Alexander Rusero said: “Whatever way, Zimbabwe loses and it will change nothing because US institutions are a straitjacket and do not necessarily alter because some individual has occupied Office of the President. That said, Zimbabwe is understood better by the US government under Democrats than under Republicans.”

Another analyst Okay Machisa said: “I don’t see any foreign policy change in the US whether Trump gets it or Biden gets it. If you look at the time of George Bush, you go to Barack Obama and then Trump, you will see that the foreign policy on Zimbabwe has not really shifted and I foresee it actually being maintained like that.”

He said the onus was on Zimbabwe to show the international community that it had fundamentally shifted from Mugabeism.