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Robert Mugabe

It took former President, Mr Robert Mugabe exactly 115 days since his resignation to publicly claim that he was forced to do so because of a “coup”.

On Thursday he told foreign journalists, who ironically would never have dared stepping into the country and perform their duties during his iron-fisted reign but were able to do so unhindered thanks to the new dispensation, that he was pushed out of office and that his successor, President Emmerson Mnangagwa is illegally in power.  In addition to preaching constitutionalism and legitimacy, Mr Mugabe alleged that President Mnangagwa betrayed him but said he was prepared to engage him. He, however, added that he would only agree to the meeting if he is “properly” invited.

His actions in recent weeks show a 94-year-old who is not happy to rest. They show a man who is bitter and feels that he was unjustly pressured out. It is also evident because of his bitterness that Mr Mugabe is actively involved in mothering an opposition party, the National Patriotic Front led by his relative; Brigadier-General (Retired) Ambrose Mutinhiri. The former president is obviously working with, rather is being prodded by his wife, Grace and their backers who fled the country when the army’s Operation Restore Legacy was launched on November 13 last year — Jonathan Moyo, Saviour Kasukuwere and Patrick Zhuwao.

Despite his statements on Thursday, the official record shows that he resigned voluntarily on November 21, 2017 in terms of the provisions of Section 96, Sub-Section 1, of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, amendment number 20, 2013.

He wrote:

“Following my verbal communication with the Speaker of the National Assembly, Advocate Jacob Mudenda at 13:53 hours, 21st November, 2017 intimating my intention to resign as the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, I, Robert Gabriel Mugabe, in terms of Section 96, Sub-Section 1 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, hereby formally tender my resignation as the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe with immediate effect.

“My decision to resign is voluntary on my part and arises from my concern for the welfare of the people of Zimbabwe and my desire to ensure a smooth, peaceful and non-violent transfer of power that underpins national security, peace and stability. Kindly give public notice of my resignation as soon as possible as required by Section 96, Sub-Section 1 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.”

The key point in the letter is that his decision to resign was “voluntary”.  A few days earlier he had delivered his “Asante Sana” speech, stating clearly that the military were within their constitutional obligations when they stepped in to account for people who had hijacked him, the party and Government.

Therefore, any statements to the contrary, coming 115 days after he resigned voluntarily, is hollow political talk.

It is unfortunate that Mr Mugabe learnt nothing and forgot nothing from the November experience.  He continues to take advice from the wrong people whose actions created conditions that led to his resignation.  Due to their bad advice over the years, he alienated his longtime comrades, those with liberation war credentials who were instrumental in his rise to lead Zanu at Mgagao in 1975, strongly backing him since then and started cavorting with Prof Moyo and his friends. Instead of allowing the party through its structures and processes to elect his successor, Mr Mugabe started to use his new-found confidantes to execute a not-so-hidden plot to get his wife to take over.

He talks about being betrayed but there is no worse betrayal than him systematically eliminating his longtime comrades and attempting to strategically position his wife and others. There is no worse betrayal than Mr Mugabe setting his wife and their underlings to humiliate President Mnangagwa in the media as well as at the now-infamous youth interface rallies. There is no worse betrayal than Mr Mugabe’s performance at the Bindura rally at which he tried to besmirch President Mnangagwa’s illustrious liberation war record.

In all this and more, Mr Mugabe and his team paid no regard to the party and national constitutions.  This angered a majority in Zanu-PF as well as the liberation element. The party rose against him to remove him from his position as party president and recalled him from his post as State president.  War veterans organised a huge demonstration against him to demand his resignation. The party initiated an impeachment process in Parliament.  Mr Mugabe had no option, thus he resigned.

It is likely that President Mnangagwa will refuse to be drawn into a worthless public spat with Mr Mugabe. His office yesterday made it clear Mr Mugabe resigned in terms of the constitution and that the nation had moved on.

“Our focus at this time shall remain on preparing for the free and fair, credible elections in 2018,” said the Office of the President and Cabinet.

“This is a key step in the immense task at hand, which is to lift our people from the effects of years of severe economic regression and international isolation.”

Indeed, this is not the time to engage in useless fights but to work harder to re-energise the party to win the forthcoming elections convincingly and revive the economy that collapsed under Mr Mugabe’s watch.