In a Feb. 18 address at the @GenevaSummit, Mhlanga denounced how the regime in Zimbabwe has weaponized the law to crush dissent and manipulated the constitution to consolidate power. He called for global diplomatic pressure on the regime.

The next day, information minister Zhemu Soda called Mhlanga’s speech “malicious” and invoked draconian provisions in Zimbabwe’s penal code that criminalize criticism of the regime under the vague guise of patriotism and national sovereignty. The same day, lawmaker Sengezo Tshabangu publicly announced his intention to introduce a parliamentary motion to strip Mhlanga of his passport for “unpatriotic conduct.”