By Taurai Mangudhla<\/p>\n
President Emmerson Mnangagwa\u2019s government on Friday gazetted the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Amendment Bill which seeks to severely punish Zimbabweans for alleged crimes against the country including charging them with treason.<\/p>\n
The Bill, which has become known as the Patriotic Bill, comes hard on the heels of the Private Voluntary Organisations Act Amendment Bill that is on the final stages of parliamentary approval.<\/p>\n
The Criminal Law Codification and Reform Amendment Bill has clauses proposing penalties such as termination of citizenship, being barred from voting and holding public office if found guilty of crimes of hurting the country\u2019s interests.<\/p>\n
\u201cAny citizen or permanent resident of Zimbabwe (hereinafter in this section called \u201cthe accused\u201d) who, within or outside Zimbabwe actively partakes\u2026 in any meeting whose object the accused knows or has reasonable grounds for believing involves\u2026.military or other armed intervention in Zimbabwe\u2026subverting, upsetting, overthrowing or overturning the constitutional government in Zimbabwe; shall be guilty of wilfully damaging the sovereignty and national interest of Zimbabwe and liable to\u2014 (i) the same penalties as for treason, in a case referred to in paragraph (a); or (ii) the same penalties as for subverting constitutional government,\u201d the proposed amendments read in part.<\/p>\n
It says those found guilty of \u201cwilfully damaging the sovereignty and national interest of Zimbabwe and (will be) liable to\u2014 (i) a fine not exceeding level 12 or imprisonment for a period not exceeding 10 years, or both..<\/p>\n
\u201cA termination of the citizenship of the convicted person, if the convicted person is a citizen by registration or a dual citizen\u2026prohibition from being registered as a voter or voting at an election for a period of at least five years, but not exceeding 15 years.<\/p>\n
\u201cProhibition from filling a public office for a period of at least five years but not exceeding 15 years, and, if he or she holds any such office, the convicting court may declare that that office shall be vacated by the convicted person from the date of his or her conviction, unless the tenure of the public office in question is regulated exclusively by or in terms of the constitution.\u201d<\/p>\n