EDITORIAL COMMENT: The drama continues

Also, the Central Committee gave him until 12 noon today to resign as state president. If he refuses, Parliament will begin a process to impeach him tomorrow.

President Mugabe was one of the leaders of Zanu during the liberation struggle. He was elected Prime Minister in the country’s first democratic elections in 1980. He became President in December 1987 when the Unity Accord was signed.

However, a string of events in recent months related to the race to succeed him when he retires plus spirited attempts by some in Zanu-PF to thwart everyone else’s ambitions, while propping up those of a rival group angered many in the party and the country at large. They were unhappy at what they saw as a lack of democracy in the party.

The G40 faction of Johnny-come latelies led by Professor Jonathan Moyo, Saviour Kasukuwere and Patrick Zhuwao, took a position to systematically remove anyone from the party whom they saw as an obstacle to their agenda to frustrate their succession plan.

Their biggest target was the liberation struggle element in the party. Internal democracy was trampled upon. No one could say a word and live to see another day in the party. Rallies became stages for announcing partisan party and government positions.

The hostility against the biggest threat to their designs, then Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa was open and scathing. They packed personal attacks on him, questioning his otherwise clearly unquestionable liberation war credentials, his loyalty to President Mugabe and other criticisms.
Cde Mnangagwa accuses G40 of poisoning him sometime in August. He survived. They persisted and Cde Mugabe sacked him on November 6 on charges of disloyalty, dishonesty and deceit.

On Monday, November 13, Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander, General Constantino Chiwenga, issued a statement warning that soldiers could step in to weed out counter-revolutionaries who were compromising Government and Zanu-PF business.

Indeed two days later, the ZDF did step in to remove those they said were criminals contributing to economic and party instability. Sadc came in too, seeking an amicable resolution to the situation.  As Sadc did this, war veterans were mobilising, and were able to stage what must be the largest demonstration ever staged in this country and by far, the largest demonstration against Cde Mugabe in the 37 years he has ruled this country.

As this happened, Zanu-PF was correcting the situation, a correction that started in earnest on Friday when eight of the party’s 10 provinces voted to recall Cde Mugabe. Two more did the same on Saturday and demanded the holding of an emergency session of the Central Committee which was held in Harare yesterday to end Cde Mugabe’s 37 years in charge of the party and mark a dramatic return into the party of Cde Mnangagwa.

Zanu-PF secretary for legal affairs, Cde Patrick Chinamasa, said:

“The first resolution was that the Central Committee on behalf of Zanu-PF expressed profound gratitude to the Zimbabwe Defence Forces for their intervention efforts in the internal affairs of the party as the governing party with a view of bringing normalcy both in the party and Government. The Central Committee congratulated the masses of Zimbabwe for their participation in the historic solidarity march yesterday in support of the Zimbabwe War Veterans’ Association. The Central Committee also passed the following resolution — that the unconstitutional removal of Cde Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa as Vice President and Second Secretary of Zanu-PF and his expulsion from the party be and is hereby nullified forthwith. The resolution also goes to restore him to his position as a member of the Central Committee.

“That Cde RG Mugabe be and he is hereby recalled from the position of President and First Secretary of Zanu-PF forthwith. Further, the resolutions that Cde RG Mugabe should resign forthwith from his position as President and Head of State and Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe and if the resignation has not been tendered by mid-day tomorrow 20 November 2017 (today), the Zanu-PF chief (Cde Lovemore Matuke) is ordered to institute proceedings for the recall of the President in terms of Section 97 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.”

Cde Mugabe addressed the nation last night and did not announce his resignation as state president contrary to expectations that he would do so. In that light, he might not resign by 12 noon today as the ruling party Central Committee demanded yesterday. This sets the stage for Zanu-PF and other parties represented in Parliament to begin the process to impeach him tomorrow.

The next few days are therefore likely to be as dramatic as the past fortnight as politicians across the divide transact business in the House and out of it to address the political problem facing our country.

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