For Zimbabweans to respect the President, he likewise needs to respect Zimbabweans

It is both curious and disturbing to see posters circulating on social media promoting what is called the “Zimbabwe Anti-Presidential Criticism Movement.”

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This campaign, which is reportedly being launched at an apostolic church in Harare, claims to be a nationwide operation aimed at “exposing enemies and critics of the President of Zimbabwe” and “educating the public to respect the leadership of the country.”

Even more astonishing is that the organizers justify this effort by citing a supposed constitutional provision — “Chapter 9:23 Section 33” — which they claim requires citizens to respect the president.

This is, to put it bluntly, both deceitful and absurd.

There is no such provision in the Constitution of Zimbabwe.

Those who concocted this fictitious section have not only demonstrated their ignorance of the supreme law of the land but have also exposed the extent of their desperation to shield President Emmerson Mnangagwa from public criticism.

Worse still, it reflects a deeply troubling mindset among some of his loyalists — one that confuses democracy with dictatorship and accountability with blind loyalty.

Let us get one thing clear from the outset: respect is earned, not demanded.

It cannot be legislated, coerced, or commanded by propaganda campaigns.

The more a leader attempts to compel people to respect him, the more suspicion, resentment, and ridicule he attracts.

True respect is born out of integrity, humility, fairness, competence, and service to the people.

When a leader demonstrates these virtues, respect naturally follows.

When he does not, no amount of stage-managed rallies, choreographed praise, or state-funded “anti-criticism” campaigns will change how people feel.

Ironically, the same individuals behind this campaign — who are insisting that Zimbabweans must respect Mnangagwa — are the ones pushing him to violate the Constitution by amending presidential term limits in order to extend his rule.

Yet, Section 328 of the Constitution is crystal clear that no incumbent may benefit from an amendment to term limits.

These are the same loyalists now invoking a non-existent “Chapter 9:23 Section 33” to justify their misplaced loyalty, misleading the public into believing that citizens are constitutionally bound to revere their leaders.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

The Constitution of Zimbabwe does not oblige citizens to respect the president — rather, it obliges the president and other leaders to respect the people.

Section 3(f) of the Constitution explicitly enshrines “respect for the people of Zimbabwe, from whom the authority to govern is derived” as one of the founding values and principles of the Republic.

This means that, contrary to the falsehoods being spread by Mnangagwa’s followers, it is the president who must respect us — not the other way around.

That is the essence of democracy.

The president is not a king.

He is not a demigod or a deity who must be worshipped.

He is a public servant, chosen by the people to perform a specific job on their behalf.

In other words, he is our employee.

We, the citizens of Zimbabwe — the 15 million men, women, and children who make up this nation — are his employers.

That is why he is answerable to us, not the other way around.

If we are his employers, then we have every right to question his performance, criticize his decisions, and demand accountability.

When an employee fails to perform, the employer has the right to complain and even terminate that employment.

That is exactly why our Constitution provides mechanisms for the removal of a sitting president through impeachment under Section 97, and for his replacement through elections held every five years under Section 158.

These provisions exist precisely because the president is not above scrutiny.

The right to criticize him — whether fairly or unfairly — is not a crime.

It is a constitutional right.

Indeed, Section 61 of the Constitution guarantees every Zimbabwean “freedom of expression and freedom of the media,” which includes “freedom to seek, receive and communicate ideas and other information.”

This means citizens are entirely within their rights to criticize the president, his government, or any public official.

Those who disagree are equally free to express their support.

But no one — not even the president himself — has the authority to suppress or punish criticism.

That is the beauty of democracy.

This attempt to stifle criticism through the so-called “Anti-Presidential Criticism Movement” is therefore a dangerous attack on our constitutional freedoms.

It echoes the dark authoritarian tendencies that have kept Zimbabwe trapped in fear and silence for decades.

It is precisely this type of intolerance that has driven millions of our brightest minds into exile and reduced national debate to whispered conversations in homes and commuter omnibuses.

When Mnangagwa took office in November 2017, he promised a “new dispensation” — a break from the repressive legacy of Robert Mugabe.

He spoke of tolerance, freedom of expression, and openness to criticism.

Yet, nearly eight years later, his government continues to weaponize the law against dissenting voices, persecute opposition leaders, harass journalists, and intimidate civic activists.

If this is what his supporters mean by “respect,” then they have grossly misunderstood what democracy means.

Respect must be mutual.

For Zimbabweans to respect the president, he too must respect Zimbabweans.

That means listening to their grievances, upholding their rights, and honoring the Constitution that gives him his authority.

It means tolerating criticism, however harsh it may be, because in a democracy criticism is not hatred — it is a vital mechanism of accountability.

When citizens speak out against corruption, incompetence, or injustice, they are not being enemies of the state; they are being defenders of it.

The Constitution begins with the words, “We, the people of Zimbabwe…”

Those words are profoundly significant.

They remind us that all power in this country flows from the people — not from the president, not from the ruling party, not from the military, and certainly not from a group of misguided loyalists.

The people wrote the Constitution.

The people elect their leaders.

The people have the ultimate authority.

That is why, when the president takes his oath of office, he swears to “obey, uphold, and defend the Constitution and all other laws of Zimbabwe.”

He does not swear that the people must obey him.

Respect, therefore, cannot be demanded from the top down; it must be earned from the bottom up.

A president earns respect by serving the people faithfully, by leading with humility, by protecting their freedoms, and by upholding the rule of law.

He loses it when he presides over corruption, poverty, repression, and deceit.

No campaign, no poster, and no pseudo-constitutional citation can change that reality.

If President Mnangagwa truly wants the respect of the people of Zimbabwe, he should start by respecting the people himself — their intelligence, their freedoms, and their right to speak truth to power.

The real enemies of the president are not those who criticize him.

The real enemies are those who mislead him, who shield him from public opinion, and who encourage him to believe he is beyond reproach.

Zimbabwe does not need a movement to silence criticism.

It needs a movement to restore accountability, rebuild trust, and rekindle genuine respect — the kind that can only be earned through service, not demanded through fear.

Until that happens, no poster, rally, or so-called constitutional clause will convince Zimbabweans to respect a leader who does not first respect them.

• Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice advocate and writer. Please feel free to WhatsApp or Call: +263715667700 | +263782283975, or email: mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com, or visit website: https://mbofanatendairuben.news.blog/