Scuffle as opposition MPs removed from parliament after they refused to stand up for Mnangagwa

Police in Zimbabwe have forcibly removed some opposition members of parliament after they refused to stand up for President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Parliamentary speaker Jacob Mudenda on Thursday asked the opposition members to leave the chamber, accusing them of disrespect. When they refused, he called in the police and scuffles ensued.

Opposition MDC party spokesman Jacob Mafume says two female members of parliament were injured and taken to a hospital.

The opposition accuses Zimbabwe’s electoral commission of rigging the July 30 election that saw Mnangagwa winning by a narrow margin.

The election was Zimbabwe’s first without Robert Mugabe on the ballot. Mugabe resigned after a military takeover a year ago, ending decades in power. AFP