Move to impeach Z’babwe president

ZIMBABWEAN President Robert Mugabe came under increasing pressure to quit yesterday as his party said it would move to impeach him and the army revealed his likely successor would soon return to the country.

In a televised address late on Sunday, the 93-year-old president flouted expectations that he would step down after the militar y’s takeover, pitching the country into a second week of political crisis.

MPs from his Zanu-PF party said they would take the first steps today to force Mugabe from office after he ignored their ultimatum to resign by noon yesterday.

“We want to get rid of this animal called Mugabe,” Zanu-PF MP Vongai Mupereri said.

“We have the numbers, the opposition is also going to support us.”

Another MP, MacKenzie Ncube, said: “We are going to im- peach -- the man has to go.”

Last night, army chief Constantino Chiwenga said progress had been made in talks towards a deal over Mugabe’s exit.

Chiwenga also said the president was in touch with Emmerson Mnangagwa, the ousted vice-president whose sacking triggered the military takeover and Mugabe’s loss of power.

“The security services are encouraged by new developments which include contact between the president and the former vicepresident, who is expected in the country shortly,” Chiwenga said.

“Thereafter the nation will be advised of the outcome of talks between the two.”

Chiwenga called for calm after Zimbabweans had celebrated on Saturday at huge anti-Mugabe marches.

Their joy quickly turned to despair as Mugabe brushed aside the turmoil, blithely declaring late on Sunday night that he would chair a top-level meeting of the party that had just disavowed him.

Earlier that day, Zanu-PF dismissed Mugabe as its leader and

demanded he resign as head of state, naming Mnangagwa as the new party chief.

Chris Vandome, an analyst at the Chatham House think-tank, warned that further delays heightened the risk of disorder.

“They will start impeaching him [today], that is certainly the will of the military, but it’s increasingly now the will of the people,” he said.

“The longer this goes on for, the more the likelihood of violence increases.”

Impeachment could see Mugabe kicked out within days.

In the draft motion, the party accused Mugabe of being a source of instability, flouting the rule of law and presiding over an unprecedented economic tailspin in the last 15 years.

It also said he had abused his constitutional mandate to favour his unpopular wife.

Mnangagwa’s removal was meant to boost Grace’s chances of succeeding her husband.

On paper, the impeachment process is long-winded, involving a joint sitting of the Senate and National Assembly, then a nine-member committee of senators, then another joint sitting to confirm his dismissal with a two-thirds majority.

However, constitutional experts said Zanu-PF, in revolt against Mugabe, could push it through quickly.

“They can fast-track it. It can be done in a matter of a day,” Southern African Parliamentary Support Trust executive director John Makamure said. – AFP