Impeachment likely as Mugabe refuses to go

ZIMBABWE: World’s oldest head of state called a cabinet meeting and ignored deadline to resign

Zimbabwe’s ruling party, Zanu-PF, has ordered impeachment proceedings to begin against Robert Mugabe and expressed confidence he could be voted out within two days.

The world’s oldest head of state ignored the party’s midday deadline to resign and instead summoned ministers to a Cabinet meeting this morning.

The Zanu-PF’s deputy secretary for legal affairs, Paul Mangwana, said politicians would move a motion for impeachment today and set up a parliamentary committee which will report back tomorrow and “vote him out”.

The main charge against the 93-yearold Mr Mugabe is “allowing his wife to usurp government powers” and that “he is too old and cannot even walk without help”, Mr Mangwana told reporters.

He said the ruling party has the backing of the MDC parliamentary opposition.

The military appears to favour a voluntary resignation for Mr Mugabe to maintain a veneer of legality in the political transition.

Mr Mugabe is likely using whatever leverage he has left to try to preserve his legacy and protect himself and his family from prosecution.

Meanwhile, opposition activists and the liberation war veterans association announced more demonstrations to pressure Mr Mugabe to go.

Veterans association leader Chris Mutsvangwa suggested the military was still beholden to Mugabe and compelled to protect their “commander in chief”.

Mr Mugabe was stripped of his party leadership on Sunday by the ruling party’s Central Committee but said in his speech he would preside over a party congress next month.

That congress is expected to ratify his firing as party chief, the expulsion of the unpopular first lady and the naming of Mr Mugabe’s recently fired deputy, Emmerson Mnangagwa, to succeed him.

The firing of Mr Mnangagwa and the positioning of first lady Grace Mugabe to succeed her husband as president led the military to step in last week.

The military has said it was making progress against “criminals” close to the first lady who had been accused of harming the country’s economy.

But yesterday a Cabinet minister close to Grace Mugabe who went silent after the military moved in last week reappeared on Twitter, saying he was “relatively fine outside the country”.

The once-formidable Mr Mugabe is now virtually powerless, largely confined to his private home by the military.

Yet he sought to project authority in his speech on Sunday night, which he delivered after shaking hands with security force commanders.

The army commander himself leaned over a couple of times to help the president find his place on the page he was reading.

Picture: AP. Many Zimbabweans, stunned by Mugabe’s failure to resign during a national address, vowed to stage more protests in an effort to make him leave.

Robert Mugabe was removed as leader of Zimbabwe’s ruling party, Zanu-PF, on Sunday. The party is now looking to impeach the 93-yearold president if he refuses to step down.