Patriotic Bill: A misplaced priority

THERE is economic collapse in the country and people are living from hand to mouth. Government should prioritise drafting strong economic laws and policies that will bring success for the ordinary people than this Patriotic Bill.

People are more concerned about bread and butter issues. Government cannot force patriotism on a hungry person.

While the country is burning and the Zimbabwean dollar is losing value on a daily basis, Parliament is adopting a motion to pass the Patriotic Bill. Talk of misplaced priorities.

We are a country at crossroads, seized with drafting Bills, statutory instruments and law amendments more than South Africa which has a much bigger economy than us.

Instead of crafting strong economic policies to revamp the economy, which has been ravaged by corruption and maladministration, government is responding with anger and vitriol.

Patriotism is not bootlicking the President or the ruling party. The critical question we should be asking is: Does pointing the weaknesses of government constitute being unpatriotic?

A real patriot cannot be created by legislation or an Act. True patriotism ought to be an intrinsic feeling of appreciation of the good socio-economic welfare of the country and not involving in corruption and dubious means of amassing wealth. It is not supposed to be bombarded and forced onto the people.

This idea of silencing activism is unpatriotic. Political activists should be allowed to operate and carry their duties without any fear, favour or being intimidated by State agents.

Enacting a draconian and repressive patriotic laws is not the panacea to the revival of the economy, but production and industrial resuscitation.

The Patriotic Bill cannot be forced on us by greedy political hoodlums who always want to keep on pillaging the country’s resources for self aggrandisement, while protecting their loot.

A public hearing must be conducted. Church organisations, civic groups, labour unions etc should add their voices too.

Inasmuch as we want the Bill, public office holders should bank their monies in Zimbabwe and stop externalisation.

In addition to that corruption by public office holders should be treated as treason and face a jail term not like what we are seeing in the Zanu PF government whereby those involved in corruption like Zimbabwe Miners Federation president Henrietta Rushwaya and former Health and Child Care minister Obadiah Moyo go scotfree.

Those who steal from national coffers surely must be held accountable and punished by the law.

We can’t adopt a law on patriotism just because a renowned journalist has exposed the maladministration and misdemeanours of the State.

Silencing dissenting voices is very unprofessional and unpatriotic.

Patriotism should also extend to allowing those in the diaspora to vote and choose a government of their choice in the comfort of their respective areas they live.

Being patriotic is making sure that no government official should go and receive treatment outside the country, but to only receive it locally.

Government must improve local health care and promote the local brand.

You can’t talk of patriotism when you send your children to school outside the country where there are very good facilities while shunning poor standards locally.

Let us find ways to salvage our people from poverty and improve their lifestyles. Let’s deal sternly with economic crimes such as corruption rather than suffocate and decimate the voice of the voiceless.