We won’t impeach Mnangagwa: MDC

By Blessings Mashaya

MDC legislators said they were not going to be used by Zanu PF to fight their factional battles through the planned impeachment of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

This comes amid high fears over the plot to impeach Mnangagwa who initially swept into office in November 2017, following a military intervention that dethroned former president Robert Mugabe.

MDC chief whip Prosper Mutseyami told journalists yesterday that soldiers killed 15 people adding that they are not in Parliament to fight Zanu PF factional battles.

“With Zanu PF rapture at play, the MDC caucus is also being targeted to avoid its participation in a rumoured impeachment plan. We have nothing to do with Zanu PF internal politics; we were elected to represent the people and not to fight factional battles of those presiding over a rogue state.

“Not to mention that there is no better side of Zanu PF, we however, want to make the point that playing a representational role, participating in an impeachment
process is not beyond the rights of legislatures and no one must be persecuted for that.

“There is however, no need for impeachment. The executive has failed in absolute terms and violated the obligation to obey and uphold the Constitution. It follows that Mnangagwa and his Cabinet must resign.”

Ironically, Mnangagwa’s predecessor Mugabe threw in the towel in November 2017 when Parliament had set in motion an impeachment motion — jointly supported by both Zanu and MDC legislators.

Ever since Mnangagwa’s Team Lacoste faction annihilated the rival Generation 40 (G40) camp in 2017, cracks have been widening in Zanu PF.

Two main factions now exist in Zanu PF; one aligned to the seating head of State and government and the other driven by retired army generals, who still wield enormous influence among the uniformed forces.

Not helping matters is the fact that a large number of G40 functionaries, including associates of former vice president Joice Mujuru — who was fired from Zanu PF and government in 2014 for plotting to unseat Mugabe using unconstitutional means — are still commanding influence in the party’s rank and file.

Impeachment refers to a process used to charge, try, and remove public officials for misconduct while in office.

The national charter provides for the removal of a sitting president or vice president through a resolution by half of the total membership of Parliament.

Section 97 of the Constitution says the Senate and the National Assembly, by a joint resolution passed by at least one-half of their total membership, may resolve that the question of whether the president or a vice president should be removed from office for various reasons, which include engaging in acts of serious misconduct; failure to obey, uphold or defend the Constitution; wilful violation of the Constitution or inability to perform the functions of the office because of physical or mental incapacity. DailyNews