As part of the territory of the constitutional Zimbabwe state, Mthwakazi fully understands what happens when a State grows too large; as government expands, citizens lose their freedom. This follows the natural tendency of government expanding its reach at every opportunity.
Greater government control cannot make citizens’ lives better because only individuals, not government, can know what is best for themselves. The erosion of Mthwakazi’s human rights began in that 18 April 1980 independence declaration when a ZANU PF-led ethnic Shona dominated government also took total control of all institutions including the education of our children.
Taking absolute control of the education of our children has granted the State a dangerous and illegitimate monopoly to control and influence the thought process of our citizens. Add media control to the puzzle, we have a seriously handicapped society that can only see what ZANU PF permits, and how it wants us to see the world.
The dream of the Mthwakazi public has always been for greater liberties and for citizens to take even more responsibility for their lives so the state keeps to itself yet the main feature of mainstream politics in Zimbabwe is its predatory instinct; the result is a predatory governance system designed to promote and protect kleptocracy, self-enrichment by the elite and the wealthy over the welfare of the public. Rather than providing public services, the ruling class has used state machinery, coercion, or systemic exploitation to extract wealth and power from the population.
Rejecting unrestrained State power is fundamental to the empowerment and development of individuals and the country. Mthwakazi groups who believe in the idea of a total break from Zimbabwean governance as being the best chance of addressing rights and freedoms of people from the territory often highlight the tension between state power and personal liberty as justification.
Freedom to Mthwakazi people means universal human rights are upheld and individuals are protected from arbitrary government interference; this can only be achieved primarily through the Rule of Law and constitutional frameworks that limit state power.
Legally binding ethical institutional provisions are essential in ensuring that the government cannot arrest, conduct surveillance, or restrict citizens without clear, predictable, and legally mandated justification. Public authorities such as government departments, local councils, and police forces must respect and protect people’s fundamental rights.
Years of arbitrary arrests or detention and physical abuse of citizens by law enforcement agents must be a thing of the past both in our constitution and in practice. Due process must be engrained in all we do so government does not arbitrarily withdraw fundamental rights for whatever reason. There needs to be a civil contract between the state and citizens where individuals expect to be told the reasons for an arrest in clear language, brought before a court promptly, and cannot be detained without lawful cause.
The greatest bulwark against an overreaching government is strengthened communities and local government. Because communities rely on their immediate families and each other, they form common bonds and share common interests to govern their lives; the worst thing that could ever happen is an overreaching government interfering with their way of life.
What benefits local communities is not more government control of their lives but more space to govern their living environment, reliable local government structures informed by local traditions, norms and values.
Mthwakazi is a very diverse social and political environment that requires delicate governance structures; structures that are sensitive to the needs and wants of every community. Education and easy access to information to strengthen local governance must be prioritised.
Government can make people’s lives better by stepping off the way and allowing communities to express what is best for them in their way and finding innovative ways of improving themselves. Governance structures of an independent Mthwakazi will need to be devolved so the state only has sufficient power to enable communities to achieve their goals, power to establish mutually beneficial international relationships and trade, establish oversight committees that promote accountability both in national government and local governance.
MI 
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