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Process of Impeaching ‘animal’ Mugabe to Begin in Zimbabwe

Impeachment proceedings to remove Robert Mugabe from power will begin later after a deadline for him to resign passed, Sky News reports.

Zimbabwe’s leader stunned his country on Sunday when he failed to announce that he was stepping down.

An ultimatum from his Zanu-PF party to resign by midday on Monday or face impeachment also came and went with no word from Mr Mugabe.

The party will now press ahead with impeachment by tabling a motion, and it believes it can all be done and dusted in a couple of days – contrary to the view of some experts.

“We want to get rid of this animal called Mugabe. We have the numbers, the opposition is also going to support us,” said Zanu-PF MP Vongai Mupereri.

“We are going to impeach – the man has to go,” MP MacKenzie Ncube told the AFP news agency.

Zimbabwe’s military chief said on Monday evening that a road map to hand over power had been agreed with Mr Mugabe.

Constantino Chiwenga said vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa, whose firing led to the unrest in the country, would return to Zimbabwe “shortly” to meet the President.

Rubbing the noses of his opponents and most of his citizens, Mr Mugabe is also set to host a cabinet meeting on Tuesday at his official residence.

The 93-year-old has ruled Zimbabwe with an iron fist since 1980 and the end of British colonialism, but events last week have brought him to the brink.

The vice president’s sacking put Mugabe’s unpopular wife, Grace, in prime position to succeed him.

The army promptly seized power and put the President under house arrest – but insisted it had not staged a coup.

Despite the impeachment machinery getting moving on Tuesday, lawyers have told Sky News it could take months to prise him from power.

Tarisai Mutangi, a constitutional lawyer, said: “He knows the law is on his side, that the constitution is on his side and that the kingpins of this process want to do it constitutionally, and that means it’s going to take quite some time.”

Under the Zimbabwean constitution, the president can be impeached for four things:

:: Serious misconduct
:: Failure to obey, uphold or defend this constitution
:: Willful violation of this Constitution
:: Inability to perform the functions of the office because of physical or mental incapacity

 

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