Mugabe turns Zim into one giant prison camp

Mugabe turns Zim into one giant Guantanamo Bay

Zimbabwean strongman Robert Mugabe has rammed through constitutional amendments to legitimize his dictatorial control. One clause will strengthen the government's control over the land seizures, which has been hampered by judges questioning the program's legality. The program seizes land without compensation from white farmers and distributes them primarily to Mugabe cronies. The changes will eliminate judicial recourse for victims.

Another allows the regime to arbitrarily seize passports of anyone deemed to be a 'threat to national security' (critic). This will also be able to be done without judicial recourse.

The bill also reintroduces the Senate, which was abolished in 1987. Critics say this will allow the president to appoint more people to parliament.

And it also includes a proposal to bring private schools under state control.

The Bush administration condemned the changes.

"Some of the changes, as well as the process used to implement these changes in the constitution, are troubling," said a State Department spokesman. "Overall, without cataloguing all of these, let me say that it's a sad step backwards for personal freedom, as well as the rule of law."

Taking away people's freedoms without judicial recourse or any external oversight? Is Mugabe trying to turn Zim into a one giant Guantanamo Bay?