Zimbabwe Court Strikes Down Provisions of Repressive Law
The Patriotic Act, which President Emmerson Mnangagwa signed into law in July 2023, contains overly broad provisions that make the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association a criminal offense.
The act created the crime of 'willfully injuring the sovereignty and national interest of Zimbabwe,' which effectively criminalizes Zimbabwean civil society groups and human rights defenders who criticize the government at international forums and prohibits them from seeking external avenues for accountability for rights violations.
In its ruling, the court stated that the drastic penalties prescribed under section 22A(3) of the act, which include life imprisonment, the death penalty, termination of citizenship, and suspensions from voting and holding public office, infringed on various sections of the Zimbabwean Constitution.
Media Alliance of Zimbabwe and Zenzele Ndebele, a private citizen, who brought the case before the court, argued that section 22A(3) and other provisions had high potential for abuse and misuse. They contended that the sections had the effect of silencing dissenting voices and were therefore unfair, unnecessary, and unreasonable in a democratic society. They also said that the law did not sufficiently define what constituted 'willfully injuring the sovereignty and national interest of Zimbabwe.'
When President Mnangagwa signed the bill into law, domestic and international human rights and civil society organizations, including the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, and Human Rights Watch, expressed concern that the law would further threaten and erode freedoms of expression and association in the country. Several other groups signed a statement calling for the repeal of the law, stating that it carried provisions 'not necessary or justifiable in a democratic society.'
While striking down sections of the law as unconstitutional is a positive step, the Zimbabwe government should repeal the draconian Patriotic Act altogether, as it contains overly broad and vaguely defined provisions, such as those criminalizing participation in meetings 'with the intention of promoting calls for economic sanctions against the country.' Such provisions amount to serious violations of the fundamental human rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association protected under international human rights law.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Human Rights Watch (HRW).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
6 hours ago
- The National
Human rights lawyer named new Syrian ambassador to the UN
Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara on Tuesday appointed Ibrahim Olabi, a British-educated human rights lawyer, as the country's new UN ambassador. Mr Olabi, who has built a career at the intersection of law, advocacy and international diplomacy, takes up the post after serving as legal adviser to Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shaibani. In that role, he worked on dismantling Syria's chemical weapons stockpile, easing sanctions, and managing contacts with international justice and accountability bodies. His appointment also reflects the generational shift that the interim Syrian leadership has sought to project since the toppling of Bashar Al Assad's regime in December last year. At 34, Mr Olabi represents a younger cohort of Syrians who rose to prominence through human rights activism and engagement with multilateral institutions. Raised in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and holding both British and German citizenship, Mr Olabi studied law at the University of Manchester, earning top honours at both undergraduate and graduate level. He then completed a master's in public policy at Oxford University's Blavatnik School of Government. He previously practiced law with Guernica 37, a London-based company specialising in war crimes and accountability cases, and has advised the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the International Bar Association. He also served on the board of the Syrian British Council. Over the past decade, he has trained hundreds of Syrian activists on documenting forced displacement and torture, witnessed the aftermath of a chemical attack in Aleppo in 2017, and testified at international conferences from Geneva to Washington. Mr Olabi will replace current ambassador Kusay Aldahak, a career diplomat who was appointed by Mr Al Assad.
Zawya
10 hours ago
- Zawya
World Humanitarian Day: African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Pays Tribute to Humanitarian Workers
On World Humanitarian Day, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, honoured the courage and sacrifice of humanitarian workers in Africa and across the world. 'Every day, in the most dangerous conditions, humanitarian workers save lives, ease suffering, and protect human dignity. They represent the very best of our shared humanity,' said the Chairperson. The Chairperson noted that Africa and the wider world face overlapping crises – protracted conflicts, the accelerating climate emergency, food insecurity, shrinking humanitarian resources, and mounting pressure on the multilateral system. 'These converging challenges are compounding vulnerabilities and testing the limits of our collective response,' he stressed. He called for renewed global solidarity, stronger multilateral partnerships, and predictable, sustainable investment in resilience, prevention, and peace. 'Humanitarian action must be backed by political will, grounded in international humanitarian law, and complemented by efforts to tackle the root causes of crises,' he added. On this day of reflection and recommitment, the African Union stands shoulder to shoulder with humanitarian actors worldwide. 'Protecting life and dignity is not just a collective responsibility—it is the moral imperative of our time,' the Chairperson conclude. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union (AU).
Zawya
10 hours ago
- Zawya
World Food Programme (WFP) warns of major cuts to food aid in Cameroon as resources risk running out
Half a million refugees and the most vulnerable Cameroonians risk being cut off from humanitarian food assistance in the coming weeks as resources reach critically low levels, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned today. Without urgent new funding, WFP will be forced to stop life-saving food assistance at the end of August to over 240,000 people who have escaped conflict in Cameroon. Additionally, more than 200,000 children and mothers will lose vital nutrition support, and school meals for 60,000 children will stop, putting their health, education, and futures at risk. 'We have reached a critical tipping point,' said Gianluca Ferrera, WFP's Country Director in Cameroon. 'Without immediate funding, children will go hungry, families will suffer, and lives will be lost.' Assistance to refugees inside Cameroon has already begun reducing as resources ran out; in July, WFP was forced to end assistance for 26,000 refugees from Nigeria in the Minawao refugee camp in the north; and refugees from the Central African Republican (CAR) in the Gado Camp in eastern Cameroon are now receiving only half of their daily food needs, pushing families to adopt negative coping strategies such as skipping meals, or selling their limited belongings to afford food. In 2025, WFP has delivered lifesaving food assistance to 523,000 people, including internally displaced families, Nigerian and CAR refugees, and vulnerable host communities. Almost 300,000 women and children have also benefited from nutrition support and school meals. This support has helped stabilize communities, improve childhood and educational outcomes, and prevent hunger from deteriorating in some of Cameroon's most fragile regions. Without immediate funding, these gains will be reversed. ' These cuts will worsen food security in the short-term but also have long-term implications for the country, Ferrera warned. 'Cutting school meals will likely reverse hard-won gains in education, including school attendance and retention. This is a crucial moment to protect the most vulnerable, preserve progress, and prevent a deeper crisis.' An estimated 2.6 million people across the country are projected to face acute food insecurity between June and August 2025, a 6 percent increase from the same period last year according to the March 2025 Cadre Harmonisé food security analysis. The Far North and Northwest regions account for the largest share of the food-insecure population. An additional US$65.5 million is urgently needed to continue lifesaving assistance over the next six months extending from August 2025 to January 2026. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Food Programme (WFP).
