Mutodi tells Ziyambi to engage UK Justice minister on Patriotic Bill

Goromonzi West legislator Energy Mutodi has proposed that Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi should engage the UK Justice Minister to explain the Patriotic Bill.

Zimbabwe is proposing to enact the Patriotic Bill which will criminalise the promotion of negative things about the country.

Although the Bill is yet to be gazetted, it has already generated debate both locally and internationally.

This also saw the United Kingdom Parliament (House of Lords) raising concerns about the issue.

The UK legislators argue that the Bill will further entrench violation of human rights and political rights among others.

Some of the legislators want the UK government to block Zimbabwe’s readmission into the Commonwealth.

However, Zanu PF legislators are of the view that the UK legislators are misinformed about the Bill.

This has seen Honourable Mutodi urging Minister Ziyambi to engage his British counterpart to explain the Bill.

Speaking in the National Assembly, Mutodi said ‘’Is this not the time that Honourable Minister can engage with their counterparts to clarify the Bill and ensure that there is no misconception or misinformation.

‘’The habit of just arguing without presenting facts and without being properly heard has caused a lot of economic misfortune on us yet we need to re-join the global community of nations and also have friendship with every willing nation on this planet,’’ he said.

Political commentators are of the view that the bill is targeted at opposition parties in the country especially the MDC Alliance.

MDC Alliance is thought to be engaging with foreign embassies and governments with a view to destabilising Zimbabwe.

CSOs in the country view the bill as government efforts to shrink civic space in a bid to conceal alleged human rights violations. Although the principles of the bill were approved by the Cabinet, President Emmerson Mnangagwa surprisingly skipped it when he set the legislative agenda for the 4^th Session of the 9^th Parliament of Zimbabwe.