President Mnangagwa said the lawyers’ willingness and commitment to play a part in the ongoing work of building the country was commendable adding they were walking in the footsteps of luminaries such as national heroes like the late Cde Herbert Chitepo, Cde Edson Zvobgo and Justice Enoch Dumbutshena.
“These cadres, among others, leveraged on their legal
training to firmly oppose and fight against an institutionalised racist legal
order that oppressed the masses of Zimbabwe in their own country, under the
Rhodesia regime. In the Second Republic, under Zanu PF the law remains an
instrument of development, serving the overarching interests of our people and
the nation as whole,” he said.
The President said it was hypocritical that those who used
the law to facilitate abhorrent looting of the country’s land and livestock,
through the passage of colonial laws such as the Land Apportionment Act and the
Land Husbandry Act now want to preach human rights and democracy.
“We are the ones that fought a protracted 16 year-war to
bring about the democracy, constitutionalism and justice we are enjoying in our
country.
“The deliberate nurturing of legal professionals with the
highest levels of patriotism, who take pride in being Zimbabwean and African is
urgent. In this regard, the formation of Lawyers for ED is, therefore, timely
and most welcome,” President Mnangagwa said.
He said the formation of the organisation had also led him
to change his perception of lawyers in the country that were largely influenced
by the activities of so-called human rights lawyers that were unpatriotic.
President Mnangagwa is congratulated by Lawyers 4ED
president Advocate Melissa Dinha after he officially launched the affiliate
organisation at State House in Harare yesterday.
The President said the legal profession must go beyond the
discourse around the skewed Western narrative and understanding of democracy
and human rights but must transcend the multi-faceted aspects, for the
development of societies.
“In this respect, I call upon the legal fraternity to
champion legal frameworks that facilitate the harnessing of science, innovation
and technology to propel the modernisation, industrialisation and holistic
development of our country.
“Our people should have a sustainable intellectual and
business operating environment that ensures we forever remain masters of our
own destiny. The legal profession must be an enabler,” he said.
The President said the Lawyers for ED should nurture and
inculcate a new breed of young talented and patriotic lawyers adding that the
realisation of Vision 2030 with the attendant modernisation and
industrialisation will entail a new scope for our legal practitioners.
“Emerging trends related to climate change, mining,
environmental management, the 4th Industrial Revolution, cyber security and
space science, among other issues, require both our legal training institutions
as well as practitioners alike, to adapt appropriately. The legal fraternity
should come on board and play their role during all the stages of law
development in a proactive and pre-emptive manner in the context of the
national space,” President Mnangagwa said.
He urged them to shun and reject corruption within the
noble profession and the society and said it was disappointing that, some
lawyers and other professionals across the board have become instruments of the
counter-revolutionary and retrogressive imperialist agenda of the country’s
detractors.
“Some are selling their souls as well as brains,
competencies and skills for a few pieces of silver to the extent of calling for
continued suffering of our people through the illegal sanctions against our
beloved mother country, Zimbabwe. This is unfortunate and shameful.
“Let them be reminded that, the freedom and privileges they
are enjoying came as a result of the priceless sacrifices of those who fought
against the oppressive colonial regime. In any constitutional democracy,
freedoms and rights have a responsibility, limitation, and acts arising thereof
require accountability. The Second Republic under Zanu PF will never apologise
for protecting the national interests of the people of Zimbabwe,” he said.
With 16 days to go before the harmonised elections, the
President called on Zimbabweans to continue upholding peace, unity, love, harmony,
tolerance and respect for one another.
“It is my expectation that you will join hands with other
affiliate organisations and structures of our Party, Zanu PF, in the provinces
to spread the message of peace, unity, love, production and hard honest work in
our free, independent and democratic motherland, Zimbabwe,” President Mnangagwa
said.
The president of the Lawyers for ED, Advocate Melisa Dinha
the creation of the Lawyers for ED came at an opportune time as it was an
addition to various affiliate organisations that have been launched before.
“Indeed, it is the responsibility of every Zimbabwean to
contribute to the upliftment of their nation. Zimbabwe as a nation needs her
people to arise and to propel her to emancipation,” she said.
Advocate Dinha said they had 300 members with more people
joining every day.
“As Lawyers for ED we are unapologetic about who we are. Our main thrust and vision is to propel the growth of our nation as a whole, to shape our economy and to impact positively the political and socio-economic landscape of Zimbabwe,” she said.
Advocate Dinha said they commended Government under the
leadership of President Mnangagwa for the various development initiatives that
have been implemented to grow the economy.
“All of us here have seen the implementation of this vision
and bear witness to the rapid growth of our economy,” she said.
Meanwhile, Lyn Karenyi, the daughter of Citizens Coalition
for Change vice president, Lynette Karenyi-Kore was part of the members of the
Lawyers for ED that attended yesterday’s launch at State House. Herald
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