MARYLAND - Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa has signed into law the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Amendment Bill or the so-called Patriotic Bill, which imposes severe penalties on citizens who wilfully injure the sovereignty and national interests of the southern African nation.
Misheck Sibanda, chief secretary of the president and cabinet made the announcement in an extraordinary gazettee, noting that the president also accented to the Labour Amendment Bill of 2023.
International and local human rights groups and opposition parties say the move is designed to curtail most freedoms ahead of the August 23 council, parliamentary and presidential elections.
The new law prevents citizens from holding meetings with foreigners in which they criticize Zimbabwe and call for the imposition of some restrictive measures against the country's leadership and or nation.
Offenders face the death penalty if they are convicted of attempting to overthrow the government.
In cases where a citizens is deemed to have willfully injured the sovereignty and national interests of Zimbabwe, one can get a lengthy jail term or lose citizenship.
Opposition Citizens Coalition for Change's deputy spokesperson, Felix Magalela Sibanda, said, "This is the worst thing that has happened to ZImbabwe. Zanu PF does not want to be opposed by anyone as they want a one-party state.
"This is mind-boggling. This law will oppress Zimbabweans in the manner Hitler oppressed his own people. Zimbabweans should resist this new law as it will curtail their freedoms."
Chairperson of Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, Peter Mutasa, said the new law will oppress Zimbabweans.
"This is tragic for Zimbabwe," he said, noting that the country is degenerating into a police state.
But Zanu PF's Bulawayo regional leader, Admire Masikati, said this is a good law.
Masikati said, "... Many people don't like their own nation. The law was passed at the right time as this will make Zimbabweans to love their country."
Several local non-profit organizations also condemned the new law saying it will result in gross human rights violations.
VOA Zimbabwe Service was unable to reach Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, who was not reachable on his mobile phone. He was quoted soon after the Bill was passed by Senate as saying there is nothing wrong with the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Amendment Bill.
VOA Correspondents Mlondolozi Ndlovu and Godwin Mangudya contributed to this article