Come back home, we are not after you, we don’t arrest people for freedom of speech it’s not a crime – govt tells Thomas Mapfumo

The government says exiled veteran musician Thomas Mapfumo should not fear coming home as the state is not interested in arresting him.

Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information Publicity and Broadcasting Services Nick Mangwana says he has spoken with Mapfumo who expressed interest in coming back home but fears that he could be arrested.

“We have had conversations with Thomas Mapfumo’s handlers, including Mukanya himself on the phone.

“He wants to hold his swan song in Zimbabwe but he is scared that he will be arrested. For what? Nobody is interested in him,” he says.

Mangwana adds that President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa since coming to power, has not declared any Zimbabwean a persona non grata.

“At the culmination of the Second Republic, President ED did not declare a single Zimbabwean a persona non grata (PNG).

“On the contrary he asserted every Zimbabwean’s cardinal right to come home (including during Covid19 lockdowns). Mapfumo and many other Zimbabweans did come home without any restrictions.

“Some continued their activities within and without the country afterwards. We are a democratic State and we don’t arrest people for free speech that doesn’t break our laws.

“Mapfumo is a soon -to-be octogenarian, and we wish well in his remaining years. He has a lot of fans and detractors. That’s life. See you in Zimbabwe Mukanya,” he says.

Zwnews