"You Are Setting A Bad Precedence", Mliswa Criticises Chiwenga Again Over Murinye Threats
Norton MP, Temba Mliswa (Independent) has criticised Vice President Constantino Chiwenga for the second time in as many days for threatening traditional leaders critical of the Government.
On Friday Chiwenga warned chiefs who were attending a function presided over by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in Harare that he would not tolerate public criticism of the President.
His threats came after Chief Murinye, from Masvingo, said Mnangagwa will lose the 2023 elections or be overthrown in a military coup if he failed to deal with corrupt senior Government officials.
Yesterday Mliswa advised to be humble, “have equanimity, be magnanimous” and not bully the powerless as power is transient.
In another Twitter thread this Sunday, Mliswa asked how the public would respect chiefs when Chiwenga embarrasses them in that manner. Below is Mliswa’s post on Twitter:
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Constitutionalism remains important. We can’t have a situation where any one of the Executive, Judiciary or Legislature, is more important than others.
It doesn’t work like that. It’s sacred and leaders should respect the parameters of each one’s independence.
The Chiefs Council is in the Constitution and its terms of reference are very clear.
The Executive isn’t superior to the constitution and we are there to remind and guide them about that. We speak boldly about this because the Constitution is clear.
The Chiefs’ Council has been weakened because they report to the Executive but the Chiefs should not be told what to do.
The constitution needs to deal with this by making Chiefs strictly independent of the Executive.
Kana maChief akushorwa pamberi pevanhu zvinorevei? These are the elders who should be guiding the Executive.
Now no one is interacting with anyone because its threats all around. War Veterans speak and are arrested. Now Chiefs have spoken and they are gagged.
However, silencing people isn’t much. In their hearts, they are still speaking. This isn’t the New Dispensation we envisaged.
We need a new culture of democracy that foments progress not a cloud of fear and threats.
I have the utmost respect for VP Chiwenga. In that regard, I feel it incumbent upon me to say that Soko you made an error and should have handled the situation in a better way as a national leader.
If you, as the elder, operates like this what about us the younger ones? How will we respect our own Chiefs when we see you disrespecting them?
What do we learn from this? What lessons do we draw? This is where the disrespect for elders begins and it degenerates to all levels.
Countries are never run on emotions. The people of Zimbabwe brought about this change and this Gvt and they forgave even this current system because it was part of the 1st Republic which caused so much pain.
Therefore I stand fearlessly to say we deserve better as a nation. We don’t deserve this.
The year should end in a good way, already mvura hayisati yakunatsonaya, what more when we have Chiefs attacked like this?
The remonstration was not in line with the decorum with which we have been told to treat Chiefs.
The precedence set is dangerous. The Chief should not be under any threat after what he said.
I humbly say this as an objective person in this matter who respects leadership.
