Mangwana exposes Chamisa's lies

ZANU-PF says the removal of former President Robert Mugabe in November 2017 was the party's internal project and the opposition MDC was only roped in as a back-up against some ruling party members deciding against the impeachment of the former president in Parliament.

During Operation Restore Legacy, Zanu-PF recalled Mr Mugabe - then the party's president and First Secretary - before instituting impeachment proceedings in Parliament which also involved opposition legislators. And as the August House sat on the afternoon of November 21, Mr Mugabe tendered his resignation, writing to the Clerk of Parliament that he was stepping down.

Yesterday, Zanu-PF Secretary for Legal Affairs Paul Mangwana dismissed as false claims by MDC Alliance leader Mr Nelson Chamisa that Zanu-PF and MDC-T had agreed on a Transitional Authority.

Mr Chamisa wildly claimed at the memorial service of the late opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai in Buhera at the weekend that President Mnangagwa had betrayed the late Mr Tsvangirai by allegedly backtracking on concessions he made to secure the opposition leader's backing in the ouster of the former president.

When Mr Mugabe fell, the stricken Mr Tsvangirai left hospital in South Africa in apparent anticipation of trappings of the development. But Mangwana said Mr Tsvangirai was only promised his pension and that his welfare would be looked after, a promise which Government has since fulfilled.

"I was involved in the discussions and we never deliberated on a transitional authority or any coalition," he said.

"This was purely a Zanu-PF internal process. The only role played by MDC-T was as an insurance in Parliament in case some of our legislators did not show up for the vote of no confidence."

Mangwana said Zanu-PF had a two thirds majority and could have removed the former president without the involvement of the opposition party. "So, there was no talk of any coalition at any point," he said.  

"Zanu-PF had the majority to govern by itself. Whoever is saying anything to the contrary is peddling falsehoods."  

Mr Chamisa was quoted saying: "Tsvangirai told me that Chamisa, we are now going to help remove the poverty caused by Mugabe, but the assurance I have is that we are going to have a transitional authority."

"I said to him, this was a good thing, but asked him if he was sure about the people he was dealing with and he said 'let us give them time'. We gave them time and they betrayed my old man."

Zanu-PF resolved to impeach former president Mugabe on November 20, 2017 after he refused to resign. The resolution to impeach Mr Mugabe was reached by a caucus of Zanu-PF parliamentarians.

The party said the former president faced several charges including allowing his wife Dr Grace Mugabe to usurp constitutional powers when she was not an elected official.

On November 21, 2017, Mr Mugabe resigned from office following a week of unrelenting pressure from the public and his own party Zanu-PF for him to step down after 37 years at the helm.

Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda made the announcement during a joint sitting of the National Assembly and Senate in the capital that was debating a motion to impeach the now former President.