Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF party is to begin impeachment proceedings against President Robert Mugabe tomorrow (Tuesday) on charges he "allowed his wife to usurp constitutional power", according to a party spokesman.
Spokesman Paul Mangawana said the process due to be moved in parliament tomorrow could take as little as two days to complete, and President Mugabe could be removed by Wednesday.
It was the sacking of vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa to make way for Mugabe’s wife Grace that precipitated last week’s army intervention, and the holding of Mugabe under house arrest since Tuesday evening.
Yesterday (Sunday) Zanu PF announced his removal from the party leadership and his replacement by Mr Mnangagwa. At a press conference in Harare, a Zanu PF spokesman said that Mugabe had been given until midday today (Monday) to resign as president, or face impeachment. However, when he appeared on national television in the evening, flanked by several military personnel, he failed to offer the expected resignation and said in a rambling address that he would be presiding at the ruling party congress next month.
Zimbabwe's constitution allows for impeachment on grounds of "serious misconduct", "violation" of the constitution or "failure to obey, uphold or defend" it, or "incapacity".
Mr Mangawana said President Mugabe had failed to implement the constitution, and his advanced age meant he was no longer fit for office. “He is a stubborn man, he can hear the voices of the people, but is refusing to listen,” he said.
The impeachment proceedings expected tomorrow will require votes in both the National Assembly and the Senate. If the vote is carried, both chambers must then appoint a joint committee to investigate removing the president. If the committee recommends impeachment, the president can then be removed if both houses back it with two-thirds majorities.
"We are expecting the motion to be moved tomorrow, the committee to be set up tomorrow, and hopefully by Wednesday - because the charges are so clear - we expect that by Wednesday, we should be able to vote in parliament," Mr Mangawana said.
During his conversations with the army generals at State House, Mugabe has been accompanied by his longtime confidant Fr Fidelis Mukonori. Reportedly Fr Mukonori has argued that the December Zanu PF Congress would provide a dignified exit for Mugabe, and this may have been the advice he was following on Sunday evening when he made his comments regarding the congress.
On Saturday tens of thousands of people thronged the streets of Harare, the second city Bulawayo, and other centres, in peaceful demonstrations demanding that Mugabe makes a speedy exit. In an extraordinary show of unity in a country where, in the later decades of Mugabe's 37-year rule, the army and ruling party has set its face against the popular will, and the so-called war veterans have acted as his personal stormtroopers, crushing his political and other perceived enemies, ruling party members, war veterans, opposition and civil society leaders and the ordinary people who have struggled to survive in an economy ruined by his policies, spoke with one voice to demand his exit. The army was clearly under orders to maintain a benign presence, and soldiers were embraced by the protesters.
The future of governance of the country is still in the balance, however, and this uncertainty was addressed by the country’s Catholic bishops in a pastoral statement on Sunday.
They have been following "recent tense events", they said, in the context of the "increased economic hardship for ordinary Zimbabweans". It was a "drastic" deterioration in the atmosphere in the country that led to the army's intervention, they acknowledged.
They showed full awareness of what is at stake, who is in charge, and expressed clearly what the priorities of those people must be. "We, your Shepherds, encourage those central to these delicate processes, (particularly the Zimbabwe Defence Forces and the political leadership) so that they maintain the best interests of the nation as a priority and continue to work tirelessly for a peaceful end to the crisis," the bishops said.
The "entire population" was concerned about the process, they said, reminding army and politicians that what is happening is not only a power struggle within the ranks of the ruling party. Any transition must embrace "all Zimbabweans in their diversity and their oneness", they said. Normality could only be achieved through a "participatory process in a democratic way". And in a firm appeal to avoid bloodshed, they affirmed: "All life is precious. The preservation of lives must be paramount."
They went on to appeal to everyone to avoid "utterances that increase tension, engender hatred, or inflame emotions."
Those accused of crimes, they added, must be accorded due process, the courts must be independent, and the constitution respected.
The statement showed a clear perception of the crossroads at which the country stands, and the possible paths that lie ahead. Many observers fear that if, as is expected, Emmerson Mnangagwa assumes power, authoritarian rule will continue. His past record in government is marked by the bloody crushing of opposition. Opposition forces today have been positioning themselves to try to ensure that if he does take over, he will be accountable and answerable to the democratic process. The Church has made clear where it stands on that question.
(Pic: Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe addresses the nation on television in Harare, Zimbabwe, Nov. 19, 2017. Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF party on Sunday recalled President Robert Mugabe from position of party leader, saying he must resign as president by noon Monday or impeachment proceedings will start. Pic credit: Xinhua/The Herald/PAI
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