Abigale Mupambi’s response to Tendai Biti and critics on the newly proposed Maintenance of Peace and Order (MAPO) bill.

By Anesu Michael Maposa

Mupambi said that MAPO is necessary for as long as he (Biti) & company lead in manipulating the very section 59 of the constitution by violating other peoples’ rights in the name of peaceful demonstration which are never peaceful when called for by him and or his associates which she said was a known fact.

Abigale Mupambi

Abigale Mupambi Pro- Democracy Activist and Human Rights Defender

Mupambi went on to state that no rights must be allowed to temper with other people’s rights for whatever reason. She asked what does Biti and company knew or valued about the Rule of law at this point when they moved around lobbying the masses against observing section 2 of the constitution of Zimbabwe which renders all the constitutional dictates supreme in this country.

Mupambi accused Biti’s failure to observe and abide with the Con-court ruling in the election dispute of 2018 as a clear rebellion against the constitution of Zimbabwe. Remember the Constitutional Court exists in terms of the Zimbabwean Constitution. She said that we as Zimbabweans all have emotions but it stands that the constitution reigns supreme.

Mupambi further accused the “Squad of lawyers” who thought that they are more superior and could twist and interpret the constitution to their favor as and when they feel like. She went on to point out that the constitution is the supreme law of the land and any grievances and violations should be dealt with in terms of the very constitution.

Mupambi highlighted that according to the father of the bill of rights, James Madison who authored the United States Constitution, the constitution was written to protect the rights of the individual from the tyranny of the majority. Mupambi went on to say that the constitution, is, therefore, “a balanced law as it protects both the rights of the majority and of the individuals.”

Mupambi said that the challenges we have with our colleagues like Biti are that they are conflicted and double dipping. She said that they are lawyers, politicians, and activists at the same time. Mupambi encouraged the lot to separate the activities of the protestant activist in them and be professional lawyers and sincere politicians.

She concluded by encouraging the Zimbabwean people to be objective in criticising MAPO, so as to position the best interest of the people of Zimbabwe.