{
  "id": 5445322,
  "title": "From Nazi Germany to Zimbabwe and beyond",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/from-nazi-germany-to-zimbabwe-and-beyond",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-03T23:50:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Island Sri Lanka",
    "slug": "the-island-sri-lanka",
    "url": "http://island.lk/from-nazi-germany-to-zimbabwe-and-beyond/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The rise of authoritarianism can have devastating consequences for entire nations, as demonstrated by the Nazi rule in Germany. Adolf Hitler established an authoritarian regime by suppressing democracy, ultimately leading to a world plagued by suffering. The story, however, is not about Germany, but about another nation – Zimbabwe – that also experienced a descent into dictatorship.\n\nIn 2021, Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government passed a constitutional amendment to raise the retirement age of judges, which sparked debates on whether it was appropriate to manipulate the Constitution to retain an incumbent Chief Justice. The amendment was timed to benefit Chief Justice Luke Malaba, who was on the verge of turning 70. The government claimed that Parliament had legally changed the retirement age, but critics argued that the Constitution did not allow any amendment to the term-limit provision. Legal challenges were raised, questioning whether constitutional safeguards could be circumvented by a mere constitutional amendment without a referendum.\n\nThe High Court ruled that increasing the retirement age effectively extended judicial tenure, and therefore could not be applied to serving judges without a national referendum. The Mnangagwa regime condemned the judgment and appealed it. The Constitutional Court, however, overturned the High Court's decision, allowing Malaba to remain in office. This move raised concerns about the judiciary becoming an appendage of the Executive, with the amendment dubbed the \"Malaba Clause.\"\n\nThe Malaba affair resulted in international condemnation, with the UN expressing serious concerns about the constitutional amendment undermining judicial independence. The story serves as a warning to other countries, highlighting the importance of upholding the separation of powers and preventing the manipulation of constitutional and judicial processes for political gains.",
  "summary": "Friday 4th September, 2026 Doomed are the nations that look on while rulers seek to perpetuate their grip on power through undemocratic means. John Stuart Mill famously observed in 1867: “Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.” Adolf Hitler established an authoritarian rule […]",
  "key_points": [
    "Nazi Germany's authoritarian rule led to worldwide suffering",
    "Zimbabwe's 2021 constitutional amendment raised retirement age of judges",
    "High Court ruled amendment extended judicial tenure without referendum"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The Zimbabwean government's manipulation of the constitution to keep a chief justice in office undermines judicial independence and raises concerns about the erosion of democratic checks on executive power.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}