By Dr Masimba Mavaza | “False Accusations without recrimination. When does it stop?”
Complaints about lies are nothing new during election time. Zimbabwe must have a Legislation which prohibits certain types of false statements in and outside parliament. If we examine the rationales for specific controls on false speech we will see that the primary harm is the manipulation of people and the distortion of the democratic process. There should be serious considerations about the regulatory alternatives to the current law to eradicate deliberate lies to build a political career. None of the options are attractive, especially given the difficult tension between the desire to curtail falsities and the shortcomings of the law in pursuing that desire—a tension that is strongly felt in the context of an election.
Zimbabwe has one big client and unfortunately he is an honourable person. The Hon. Temba Mliswa who turned 50 this week has become a pathological liar who lies with a straight face.
It is true that Mliswa’s lies are done as a ploy to make a name for himself. Mliswa took to Twitter to accuse police Commissioner General of the police for firing 5 senior officers because they have failed to carry the orders given by Matanga, the Commissioner General.
In his tweets, Mliswa accused Matanga to be dictatorial and abusing his police powers.
Temba Mliswa has anointed himself a master referee and Thea mighty in the government.
Temba mentioned five officers he said have been victimised by Matanga. In actual fact Temba has been lying against the police thereby causing the people to disrespect the police.
Misleading and inaccurate information against the Police is widespread. But if it’s done by a member of parliament It reduces the quality of public respect for the police. It manipulates the police system and brings discontents in the police force. This undermines the legitimacy of the police and contributes to the social delinquency and puts the police in harms way. It further brings divisiveness in the police ranks and breeds indiscipline and total chaos. In view of the lies being spread by Temba Mliswa action against such persons and who ever is feeding them with fake information must be taken.
Temba Mliswa made large numbers of misleading claims that polluted public confidence in the police force. Temba Mliswa has ‘demonstrably false’ statement that Matanga fired police Commissioner Nyakutsikwa because Nyakutsikwa refused to carry out some illegal orders to pay Drax and Nguwaya. This is a clear lie which is embarrassing and shamefully spread by Mliswa. To the contrary Nyakutsikwa was not fired. It is in the public knowledge that Nyakutsikwa is facing some criminal allegations.
In terms of the Police Act, an officer facing some criminal charges will be suspended from active duty pending the finalisation of his case. It is in the public knowledge that Nyakutsikwa has exercised his right and is attacking the president of Zimbabwe legally though for establishing the Special Anti corruption Unit being led by Cde Tabani Mpofu the patriot not the other Tabani Mpofu, the Advocate who is a political activist.
It is a fact that Temba Mliswa and some officers who are using him do not care about their lies. Their aim is tarnish the name of Matanga and our Police force.
Temba again in his incorrect Twitter alleged that Assistant Commissioner Magande was fired for refusing to release funds to Drax. Mliswa tried to connect Matanga to the Draxgate. Temba in his ignorants of the police administration did not know that Magande retired in terms of the Police Act due to his age. Magande had served the force until he was 60 years. Which means he served for ten extra years because in the force you retire at 50. Then if you are fit you can apply for a discretion to be allowed to serve. This extension is extended after every year at the pleasure of the commissione General or the President if you are commissioned. Magande had ten bonus years which was a blessing to him. So it is an open lie that the cursed parrot Temba Mliswa Twitted accusing Matanga for firing Magande.
Again Temba tried to cause more confusion by stating that the former head of CID, Charumbira was fired by Matanga.
This was another lie which shows that Temba is unreliable but he tries to make himself a think tank and a source of information. Mliswa went further to allege that assistant Commissioner Moyo was fired yet Moyo is on suspension pending the finalisation of his criminal trial.
It is not a secret that Temba Mliswa hates Commissioner General Matanga with a passion. Temba has always wanted Deputy Commissioner General Mutamba to succeed Matanga hence the spirited lies which have exposed his underhand and stinking Agenda.
Unbeknown to Temba Mliswa, Mutamba will be retiring at 60 and not fired as what Temba is spreading around.
Mliswa is on record again creating lies against Cde Chris Mutsvangwa alleging that Mutsvangwa has ideas of becoming the Vice President. Mliswa believes that his word is taken as a fact by the president. The reality of the matter is that Mliswa is a liability. He is not ZANU PF but he suffers from mental condition in which he believes that he is the Kingpin. In actual fact Temba is a political prostitute who peddles gossip and threatens people around him. In the UK the law only prohibits statements about ‘personal character or conduct’. The British are in the process of changing the law. Liars like Mliswa must not be allowed to contaminate the truth.
The false statements made by Mliswa are not about political issues, it was personal character or conduct. The law needs to regulate accuracy of political statements as well.
This change to the law is essential to increase trust in the democratic process, to have well-informed voters, and to hold politicians to account more effectively.
There is an effect on political trust of forms of behaviour that violate social, political and legal norms about how politicians ought to behave.
Lying to others is part of the political game, and so is hypocrisy, lying to oneself; but hypocrisy can take politicians down one of two very different roads. We should not knock Temba’s hypocrisy, because the hypocrite will often put admirable principles onto the public agenda. This is a virtue in politics even when the principle is being articulated by people whose policies fail to embody them. The really dangerous politicians, by contrast, are the pragmatists, who would not recognise a principle if it was staring them in the face, and who simply confront the public with what they are going to do anyway. Lying to others is part of the political game but when you lie to yourself and believe those lies you are a hypocrite and ‘truly rotten to the core’. This is Temba Mliswa in the making.
Temba Mliswa’s conduct causes the long standing tension between police and politicians.
The biggest issue plaguing the police force is political interference and not lack of facilities, police officers are subjected to civilian gossip.
They say that it is rampant in transfers and postings. “Political affiliations play a large role in departmental inquiries and punishment proceedings of officials. Nowadays, politicians are influencing the way in which performance appraisals and awards are given to officers and staff. This must not be like this the politicians must allow the police to do their job. Temba tries to put his big knows in the police affairs.
He is trying to be the spokesperson of the police.
“This hurts us both ways.
Something has to be done. Temba must not be allowed to plant seeds of division in the police and he must not sow seeds of division between the president and his deputy.
Mliswa is being destructive and he must stop it. The worse thing is he takes Matanga’s silence as a weakness.