10 might have been hoped for in the early years of political independence. National State structures, institutions, and processes have been politicised along partypolitical lines to the extent of undermining their public and national character. In a democracy that takes seriously the concept of the common good, political parties cannot replace structures of the state. As Zimbabweans, we have failed to recognize the fundamental institutional priority of a non-partisan public state that recognizes and protects all Zimbabweans. The importance of maintaining the distinctions between party, government and state, their respective and balanced roles is now being demonstrated. Obfuscation of these distinctions in the imagination of our political leaders, our professionals, and in the imagination of the majority of the people of Zimbabwe has placed us into the lacuna we find ourselves in today. The idea of regarding the party as supreme to the government and the State has effectively helped to privatize the State and government, thereby making them virtually inaccessible to many Zimbabweans. This idea has helped encourage the tendency to narrow the meaning of our liberation struggle and to reduce it only to the armed struggle. Such a tendency has the unfortunate consequence of failing to recognize various contributions made by many Zimbabweans to their own liberation. 1.2.2 Political intolerance Political intolerance has unfortunately become a culture in Zimbabwe. This has mainly taken the form of intolerance of dissent and political plurality. The unwillingness to accommodate political differences is shown by the tendency to label anyone who criticises the dominant view as an enemy of the revolution. The trading of insults and hate speech has unfortunately been characteristic of interand intra-political parties. Intolerance breeds hatred, and hatred breeds violence, and violence leads to destruction. This cycle became particularly visible before some elections in the past where intimidation of political opponents, violence, murder, extortion, and dispossession were commonly reported. The culture of violence, fear, suspicion and hate cannot build a nation. 1.2.3 Oppressive Laws Some repressive pieces of legislation exist in our statute books, with the Public Order and Security Act (POSA) and the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) being of particular concern. Legislation that inhibits peaceful assembly and the free flow and exchange of ideas seriously impairs the efficacy of participatory democracy and the accountability of those who govern. Government has itself acknowledged that at least some of the provisions of POSA and AIPPA need to be amended for consistency with the spirit and ethos of human rights as contained in our constitution.