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Privacy Act as it is convinced they are justified pieces of legislation, a Cabinet Minister has said.
Justice and Legal Affairs Minister Patrick Chinamasa said the two pieces of legislation were as a result of wide consultations in Zimbabwe and abroad including countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia and United States.
The Minister said this yesterday while delivering a paper at the 12th session of the United Nations Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review focusing on human rights in Geneva, Switzerland.
“We reject the views that these pieces of legislation unjustifiably interfere with some liberties of the individual. We are aware that the very substance and essence of the said laws are not peculiar to Zimbabwe and by no means unjustifiable in a democratic society,” he said.
The Minister said many countries had similar legislation with Zimbabwe but have not attracted criticism.
“The question to ask is why use different yardsticks, measurements and/or set of eyes when dealing with Zimbabwe. It then becomes crystal clear that the yardstick is neither about human rights nor legal but political,” he said.
On the death penalty, Minister Chinamasa said while Zimbabwe was in receipt of submissions against it, it had referred the contentious issue to the people in the current constitution making process.
He denied that the State was abusing Section 121 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act that allows an accused person who would have been granted bail by a presiding magistrate to remain in custody pending an appeal by the State.
On new television licenses, said Minister Chinamasa, no licenses would be granted, as there was need to first migrate the system from analogue to digital, while radio license applications were being processed.
He castigated the United States and its Western allies for imposing the illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe.
Online Reporter