Bob digs in his heels

President Robert Mugabe could be ousted by Thursday, Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF) deputy secretary for legal affairs Paul Mangwana said yesterday.

Speaking at a press conference, Mangwana said the ruling ZanuPF would introduce a motion for impeachment today and set up a committee as per Zimbabwe’s constitution.

Mugabe would be voted out once the committee had reported back, Mangwana claimed.

Zimbabwe’s ongoing constitutional crisis continued to deepen yesterday when Mugabe’s noon deadline went by without his resignation as the country’s commander-in-chief.

The country remained effectively under martial rule with the army still on the streets in the capital city of Harare, and with Mugabe’s movements still restricted. However, in a handy development, National Liberation War Veterans Association chairperson Christopher Mutsvangwa said former first vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa apparently never received the official documentation sacking him.

“For your own information, Comrade Mnangagwa was never fired officially, as the secretary for administration, Ignatius Chombo, didn’t write him a letter advising of his dismissal,” said Mutsvangwa, according to openparly.co.zw.

As one of a number of attacks Mugabe is facing, Mangwana’s proposed rapid-fire impeachment would short-cut the usually weeks-long process after Mugabe continued to ignore everyone.

In terms of Zimbabwe’s constitution, if a president dies, resigns or is removed from office, “the first vice-president assumes office as president until the expiry of the former president’s term of office”.

General elections were expected to be held between July 23 and August 21 next year and the country had been in full voter registration mode when the not-a-coup began.

“Over the past four days, there has been a decline in the number of people coming out to register to vote which is a major concern,” election resource centre director Tawanda Chimhini said yesterday at a press conference. “The longer this plays out, the more likely it will affect election processes.”

The other option Zanu-PF was exploring meant the present state of affairs would continue until the decision to recall Mugabe was ratified during Zanu–PF’s extraordinary congress, scheduled to take place from December 12-17, said party spokesperson Simon KhayaMoyo.

The decision to install Mnangagwa would also be ratified at the congress.

Mutsvangwa also said in a media conference the war veterans – a powerful group within Zanu-PF – would be approaching the high court today for a declaratory order to the effect the army had acted constitutionally in removing Mugabe due to his “dire dereliction of duty”.

– news@citizen.co.za

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