Mugabe clings to power, party to launch impeachment process

Harare, November 20

Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF party will launch the parliamentary process tomorrow for impeaching President Robert Mugabe, a government lawmaker has said.

The decision came today after Mugabe missed a deadline to resign given to him by his party over the weekend.

Once a simple majority of parliamentarians vote for impeachment, an investigative committee is formed by lawmakers, who report back to both houses of parliament. Each house must then vote by a two-thirds majority for him to be stripped of office.

“We are expecting the motion to be over (tomorrow),” ZANU- PF lawmaker Paul Mangwana said, referring to the initial procedure to commence impeachment proceedings. He added that ZANU-PF had approached the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party to seek their cooperation to pass the necessary parliamentary votes.

In a televised address late yesterday, the 93-year-old veteran leader defied expectations he would quit, pitching the country into a second week of political crisis.

The speech provoked anger and disbelief among many Zimbabweans, fuelling concerns that Mugabe could face a violent backlash.

Zimbabwe’s crisis erupted on November 13 after a factional squabble over the presidential succession erupted into the open prompting the army to seize power. 

Opposition activists and the influential liberation war veterans association announced more demonstrations to pressure Mugabe, the world’s oldest head of the state, to step down after 37 years in power.

At the University of Zimbabwe, students protested and refused to sit for exams, singing and demanding that Mugabe step down. The spokesman for the Zimbabwe National Students Union, Zivai Mhetu, said they wanted all universities shut down until he does.

Mugabe in his speech acknowledged “a whole range of concerns” of Zimbabweans, but he stopped short of what many in the southern African nation were hoping for, a statement that he was stepping down. AP

Opposition to decide on issue today

• Lawmakers from Zimbabwe’s main opposition party MDC will hold a meeting on Tuesday to decide whether to join their ruling party rivals to impeach 93-year-old President Robert Mugabe, the minority chief whip said
• Although Mugabe’s ZANU-PF has the required two-thirds membership to remove Mugabe, participation by the opposition could give a boost to a process that was started by the military’s intervention last week