Mugabe blunders over Mujuru

Legal experts yesterday said President Robert Mugabe and speaker of the House of Assembly Jacob Mudenda should be charged with violating the Constitution when they failed to declare former Vice-President Joice Mujuru's parliamentary seat vacant soon after her re-appointment to the post last year.

The experts said the two should not have allowed Mujuru to retain her Mt Darwin West seat and should have ordered a by election at least by December 12 2013, according to the law.

Section 129 (1) (C) of the Constitution states that the seat of the Member of Parliament becomes vacant upon the member becoming President or Vice President.

Mujuru was appointed VP on September 11 2013 making her parliamentary seat automatically vacant and by law, Mudenda was supposed to declare the seat vacant with Mugabe constitutionally proclaiming a by-election date within 90 days.