Impeachment against Robert Mugabe starts

HARARE: Never should the nation be held at ransom by one person ever again, whose desire is to die in office at whatever cost to the nation

EMMERSON MNANGAGWA, whom Mugabe fired as his vice president

Zimbabwe’s parliament began an impeachment process against President Robert Mugabe on Tuesday that looks set to bring his domination of a country he has ruled since independence nearly four decades ago to an ignominious end.

In the last week, Mugabe has clung on in the face of a collapse of his authority and a Monday deadline to quit.

The army seized power a week ago and there have been mass protests against him and calls to resign from many sides including on Tuesday from the ruling party’s favourite to succeed him Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Speaker Jacob Mudenda said he received a motion to impeach and the parliament would adjourn to a hotel to start the proceedings on Tuesday afternoon.

Zimbabwean law says a joint sitting can take place anywhere.

Thousands or people demonstrated outside parliament urging Mugabe to quit.

Mugabe led Zimbabwe’s liberation war and is hailed as one of Africa’s founding fathers and a staunch supporter of the drive to free neighbouring South Africa from apartheid in 1994.

FIRED VP ASKS MUGABE TO QUIT IMMEDIATELY

Mugabe should acknowledge the nation’s “insatiable desire” for a leadership change and resign immediately, the recently fired vice president and likely successor to the 93-year-old leader said on Tuesday.

The statement by Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was dismissed earlier this month, added to immense pressure on Mugabe to quit after nearly four decades in power, during which he evolved from a champion of the fight against white minority rule into a figure blamed for a collapsing economy, government dysfunction and human rights violations.

The ruling ZANU-PF’s central committee had voted to oust Mugabe as party leader and select Mnangagwa as his replacement, a move that eventually could allow the former vice president to become head of state. Mnangagwa served for decades as Mugabe’s enforcer, with a reputation for being astute and ruthless, more feared than popular.

“The people of Zimbabwe have spoken with one voice and it is my appeal to President Mugabe that he should take heed of this clarion call and resign forthwith so that the country can move forward and preserve his legacy,” Mnangagwa said in his statement. Mnangagwa, who fled the country has not appeared in public during the turmoil.

US ending temporary permits for almost 60,000 Haitians

The Trump administration has said it is ending a temporary residency permit programme that has allowed almost 60,000 citizens from Haiti to live and work in the US since a 2010 powerful earthquake shook the Caribbean nation. The Homeland Security Department said conditions in Haiti have improved significantly, so the benefit will be extended one last time until July 2019 to give Haitians time to prepare to return home. AP

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