By Thandiwe Garusa

A BRITISH legislator has told the Harare government to respect and uphold the country’s constitution it wants to avoid critical international attention.

The Zimbabwe government recently told Whitehall politicians to stop meddling in Zimbabwe’s internal affairs, reminding London that the country was no longer a colony of the British.

This came after British peer Lord John Oates triggered debate in the House of Lords on Zimbabwe’s alleged failure to uphold the constitution and respect human rights.

Oates also accused Zanu PF of actively undermining the country’s main opposition.

Responding to the attacks, ruling party spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa dismissed Oates as a political toddler suffering from colonial hangover.

Mutsvangwa accused Oates of working in Zimbabwe as a CIO agent under the guise of being a teacher.

However, Oates dismissed Mutsvangwa’s charges as desperate lies.

He however, added that he was ready stop speaking out if the Harare government upholds the country’s constitution.

“I see that Zanu PF is venting its usual in response to my criticism of the failure by state institutions to uphold the Zimbabwe constitution,” Lord Oates said on Twitter.

“I see Zanu PF is also so desperate to silence criticism that they now claim I was an intelligence officer when in Zimbabwe.

“Needless to say this is a complete lie. I was a teacher in a rural secondary school, on the payroll of the Zimbabwe government and no-one else,” Oates said.

He added: “Lastly, I agree with my irate critic that it is for Zimbabweans to decide their future not outsiders.

“The problem is that the government consistently violates the constitution to prevent them doing so.

“If they upheld it instead, they would hear no more from me,” he said.