Mnangagwa 2017 coup challenger receives death threats

By Nyashadzashe Ndoro | Nehanda Politics |

Sybeth Musengezi, a Zanu PF member who filed a court application challenging the ascendancy of President Emmerson Mnangagwa after the military coup in 2017 claims he is receiving death threats from overzealous ruling party supporters.

Musengezi last week approached the Bulawayo High Court seeking the nullification of Zanu PF’s 19 November 2017 special session of the Central Committee meeting, which elected, then Vice President Mnangagwa the leader of the country.

He argues that the meeting that forced the late former President Robert Mugabe to resign, installing the current leader was illegal.

The fearless Zanu PF official told Voice of America he is receiving threats from some intolerant party members.

“In any society there are some overzealous people. Some of the comrades have been trying to please their masters…”

“They have been sending threats and some have been calling threatening, but I don’t see why anyone would want to harm me because this is just a court application. If they have anything against it, they should just file their opposing papers instead of calling and harassing me,” he said.

In his application Musengezi cited Zanu PF as the first respondent and Mnangagwa as the second respondent.

He also cited Zanu PF secretary for administration Obert Mpofu, acting political commissar Patrick Chinamasa, former vice president Phelekezela Mphoko, ex-finance secretary Ignatius Chombo as the third, fourth, fifth and sixth respondents respectively.

Musengezi said Mpofu had no authority to preside over the Central Committee meeting that forced Mugabe to resign since he was then only Zanu PF’s secretary for finance.

He argues that former vice president Mphoko should convene a special Extraordinary Congress of Zanu PF that will decide the lawful position of Mnangagwa and other top party members.

Musengezi said at the time of his removal, Mugabe was not incapacitated to preside over a lawfully convened session of the Central Committee in terms of Article 7 Section 38 of the party’s Constitution but he was at all material times seized with the internal affairs of the party in his engagement with the commanders of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces as evidenced by the subject of his televised speech on the evening of the 19th of November 2017 at the end of which he bid the whole country a good night with the famed Asante Sana remark.

He added that even then vice president and second secretary of Zanu PF, Mphoko was not incapacitated to preside over a lawfully convened session of the Central Committee in terms of Article 7 section 38 of the party’s constitution, in the event that the President and First Secretary of the party was absent.

Mnangagwa assumed leadership of Zimbabwe through a military takeover that overthrew Mugabe who had ruled for 37 years. Mugabe died in 2019 in Singapore from prostate cancer. Nehanda Radio