Zimbabwe will not bend the law to please the opposition and
its sympathisers who are supporting the recent attempts to embark on illegal
protests, President Mnangagwa has said.
Western embassies have in the past two weeks openly sided
with the opposition after police used their powers to quash a series of futile
illegal protests that had been organised by the MDC-Alliance.
Responding to questions from Japan’s media organisations on
the sidelines of the three-day Tokyo, International Conference on African
Development (TICAD) summit yesterday, President Mnangagwa said the law cannot
be applied selectively to tolerate illegal demonstrations.
The journalists had asked President Mnangagwa to comment on
the so-called crackdown on opposition protesters
“We apply the rule of law, those who commit crime, the law
must apply. You cannot have double standards where the rule of law is concerned.
Are you saying if people funded by the Americans commit crimes, we should not
touch them? No! Zimbabwe is a unitary state and our laws apply to every
citizen, whether you are in the opposition or you are in Government or you
don’t belong to any political party at all.”
The President added: “If you commit murder you get
arrested, if you engage in corruption you get arrested, any violent act you get
arrested. That is the rule of law which we observe.”
“I would like you to quote an action where Zimbabwe has
acted outside the rule of law and I would like to hear that.”
President Mnangagwa said Government was committed to
political, economic and legislative reforms.
“There is POSA and AIPPA which are in the process of being
repealed. We are not repealing to please America, we are repealing because it
is necessary for us. It is for Zimbabwe and if it helps the Americans, so be
it,” he said.
Asked on what differs in his approach to leadership of
Zimbabwe in comparison with former president Robert Mugabe, President Mnangagwa
answered: “Former president Mugabe was our commander for 15 years, when we
fought the liberation struggle against Ian Smith. In 1979, we went to Lancaster
where we got our political independence.
“Secondly, former president Mugabe is the founding father
of our Independence and the principle grievance that we had during the
liberation struggle was for us to get back our land.”
The President said his liberalisation of Zimbabwe’s economy
also showed that his economic vision is different from the former President who
was known for promoting counterproductive populist policies.
“In July last year, I won the elections with two thirds
majority in Parliament. I have the majority party in Parliament. I have now
liberalised and opened the space so that in modern times you must compete for
global capital to come into your country. We are doing the liberal measures in
Parliament, a raft of economic measures, political and social measures.” Herald
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