The political landscape in Zimbabwe is once again abuzz with debate, this time sparked by a controversial idea put forward by renowned investigative journalist Hopewell Chin’ono.
Chin’ono, known for his fearless reporting and critical stance against the ruling ZANU-PF party, has called for the formation of a government in exile, arguing that it’s the only way to address what he terms President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s “bad governance.”
However, this proposition has drawn strong criticism from former cabinet minister and prominent political commentator, Professor Jonathan Moyo. Moyo, currently in exile himself, has warned Chin’ono that the idea of a government in exile is “very dangerous” and could be construed as an act of treason.
Moyo, in a detailed analysis of the concept of “government,” argues that a government must be constitutional, lawful, legitimate, and must have effective control of the nation in question. He asserts that any entity claiming to be a government without these features would be deemed unconstitutional, unlawful, illegitimate, and therefore subversive.
“A government must be generally acknowledged and recognised nationally and internationally as having the right to rule or govern the nation,” Moyo stated, adding that “a constitutional, lawful and legitimate government cannot be formed outside the nation in question; in other words, it cannot be formed in exile; let alone on the Internet.”
He further argues that a government in exile cannot effectively engage with the resident population of the nation because it would be illegal for that population to interact with such a government in any way.
Moyo’s strong stance against the idea of a government in exile has prompted a response from Chin’ono.
The journalist, known for his unwavering commitment to exposing corruption and human rights abuses in Zimbabwe, maintains that his government in exile idea is merely a suggestion for Zimbabweans to reflect upon.
“Thank you for your input, Professor. I believe I was clear that the Government in Exile was an idea for Zimbabweans to reflect upon. I also mentioned that the name is not set in stone, it is up to the citizens to come up with a name after careful consideration, and many have already begun doing so,” Chin’ono responded to Moyo.
Chin’ono further argues that the current government, led by President Mnangagwa, is illegitimate, having come to power through a military coup and subsequently winning rigged elections. He points to Moyo’s own book, “Excelgate,” which detailed the alleged manipulation of the 2023 elections.
“You correctly defined the last election in this way: “It’s a shame that, 43 years since independence whose clarion call was the right to vote under the “one man one vote” banner, ZEC has used the 2023 harmonised general election to make a mockery of the right to vote, ironically, in the month of August when Zimbabwe commemorates the heroes of the liberation struggle, whose single most important achievement in 1980 was the reclamation and restoration of the right for every Zimbabwean!”” Chin’ono quotes from Moyo’s book.
“When a government starts violating the constitution, as Mnangagwa’s regime does, it is actually authoring its own illegitimacy,” Chin’ono asserts. “When a government abducts and tortures citizens for exercising their constitutional rights, it is illegitimate. When a government violates the very principles upon which it was built and fails to uphold the rights of its citizens, its legitimacy will be called into question.”
He concludes his argument by stating that there is nothing inherently wrong with citizens fighting for their rights, and that the name given to the proposed entity is less important than its purpose.
“It surely can’t be illegitimate for citizens to fight for their rights. There is nothing inherently significant in a name, if your assertion is that it shouldn’t be called a “Government” and if citizens agree with you, it could be called, say, the Zimbabwe Diaspora Forum or something similar. What matters more is what it is meant to do and what it will achieve!”
