I was illegally removed from power, says Robert Mugabe

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa is an illegal president, the country’s former head of state, Robert Mugabe said on Thursday.

“I don’t hate Emmerson. I brought him into government. I wouldn’t want to work with him,” he said speaking from his Blue Roof mansion in Harare, adding that the current government was unconstitutional.

“But he must be proper. He isn’t proper where he is. Illegal!”

Mugabe said it was to correct that “illegality that he [Mnangagwa] wouldn’t want me to discuss with him”.

“We must undo this disgrace, which we have imposed upon ourselves. We don’t deserve it. Please we don’t deserve it. Zimbabwe doesn’t deserve it. We want to be a constitutional country.”

Mugabe said he would want to engage in the process of setting up a constitutional government.

He said the military neutralised all security sectors when they staged a coup on November 14 last year, six days before he succumbed to pressure to leave office.

“Volleys of bullets were being fired near houses. Members of the Central Intelligence [Organisation] were bashed, their heads cracked. Some had their guns taken away from them. The police armoury emptied,” Mugabe said.

He said during those days, there was no movement, unless checked and allowed by the army.

“I don’t know what you might want to call it, but our people had never experienced such an environment before,” Mugabe said.

“Those young men and women that we have are being called one-by-one to be asked very silly questions.”

A few weeks ago, Mugabe claimed his security had been trimmed, with top police details in the Police Protection Unit moved to other sections of the force.

The new dispensation maintains that it was a military intervention which targeted criminals surrounding Mugabe.

During the time Mugabe resigned, a process had begun to impeach him in Parliament. Mugabe resigned on November 21, before Mnangagwa was sworn on November 25. African News Agency