Some Zanu PF Members of Parliament want the proposed Patriotic Bill to have clauses that impose a ban on local politicians who advocate sanctions against the country from running for public office.
The Zanu PF led government accuses the opposition MDC of calling for targetted western imposed sanctions against the country’s ruling elite.
In his contribution to the debate on the proposed Patriotic Bill, Mberengwa South legislator Alum Mpofu (Zanu PF) said:
What do you do with citizens who make it their duty to spend hours and hours crafting counter-narratives that are negative with all intent and purpose intended to harm the country’s positive good reputation? This is a very crucial question for this debate.
Gutu South MP Pupurai Togarepi said the proposed law should help stop some opposition politicians from running for public office in future. He said:
In their future interest for public office, if you have campaigned against Zimbabwe, the law should actually bar you from getting into any public office because you would have killed the people that you want to look after.
People entrust you with their lives, yet you go out there to say let these people die until I become a ruler!
In a separate interview with NewZimbabwe.com, Togarepi said MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa and one of his deputies Tendai Biti were traitors and should not be allowed to participate in the 2023 elections.
What do you do with citizens who make it their duty to spend hours and hours crafting counter-narratives that are negative with all intent and purpose intended to harm the country’s positive good reputation? This is a very crucial question for this debate.
What do you do with people who ruin a country for the whole of 40 years of their tenure and do things that end with the country being given sanctions?This is a very crucial question for this debate.