News / National
'Declare Mugabe unfit to rule'
07 Feb 2015 at 08:14hrs | Views
OPPOSITION MPs are warming up to possible unity with disgruntled Zanu-PF MPs in a move aimed at impeaching President Robert Mugabe who they argue is now incapacitated and unable to continue at the helm given his advanced age and ill-health.
The move, according to MPs interviewed yesterday, was now necessary particularly coming after Mugabe fell at Harare International Airport upon arrival from Addis Ababa where he was made Africa Union chairman.
MDC Renewal Team spokesperson Jacob Mafume said it was now the duty of current MPs to consider the move and ensure Mugabe is "saved" from the "abuse" by Zanu-PF for wanting to keep him in power at that age.
"I do believe we have maintained that State House is not an old people's home and we should find other places to accommodate him and if Parliament is toothless in that regard, someone can approach the High Court to seek that Mugabe be checked medically if he is still fit to be on the job," Mafume said.
"We see now there has been lapse in concentration on his part and we should understand that old age is illness humanity can't cure."
Mbizo MP Settlement Chikwinya said given immediate past experiences where Mugabe's lapse in concentration has been exposed, this could be the time for Parliament to act.
Chikwinya's argument was raised from three separate instances where the President showed signs of old age and lapse in concentration observers attributed to old age.
The first one was when Mugabe said Tsvangirai won the 2008 elections by 73% while addressing war veterans in Harare during the December Zanu-PF congress.
He also chanted "pasi neZanu-PF" during the Zanu congress just after revealing that the First Lady Grace, was now controlling him even at home.
The debate was also ignited earlier this year with fears expressed by Mashonaland Central Zanu-PF chairman Dickson Mafios who
said that all MPs aligned to fired former Vice-President Mujuru should be recalled from Parliament amid fears they would gang up with opposition counterparts to impeach Mugabe.
"There are also rumours that they want to impeach President Mugabe if they unite with the MDC-T. So, right now we are not sure if their allegiance is towards the President and how loyal they are to government," he said.
The MDC-T has 91 seats in House of Assembly and Senate while Zanu-PF has 234. But Zanu-PF fears that more than 100 of its-PF MPs were aligned to Mujuru and could form an alliance with MDC formations.
The move, according to MPs interviewed yesterday, was now necessary particularly coming after Mugabe fell at Harare International Airport upon arrival from Addis Ababa where he was made Africa Union chairman.
MDC Renewal Team spokesperson Jacob Mafume said it was now the duty of current MPs to consider the move and ensure Mugabe is "saved" from the "abuse" by Zanu-PF for wanting to keep him in power at that age.
"I do believe we have maintained that State House is not an old people's home and we should find other places to accommodate him and if Parliament is toothless in that regard, someone can approach the High Court to seek that Mugabe be checked medically if he is still fit to be on the job," Mafume said.
"We see now there has been lapse in concentration on his part and we should understand that old age is illness humanity can't cure."
Mbizo MP Settlement Chikwinya said given immediate past experiences where Mugabe's lapse in concentration has been exposed, this could be the time for Parliament to act.
Chikwinya's argument was raised from three separate instances where the President showed signs of old age and lapse in concentration observers attributed to old age.
The first one was when Mugabe said Tsvangirai won the 2008 elections by 73% while addressing war veterans in Harare during the December Zanu-PF congress.
He also chanted "pasi neZanu-PF" during the Zanu congress just after revealing that the First Lady Grace, was now controlling him even at home.
The debate was also ignited earlier this year with fears expressed by Mashonaland Central Zanu-PF chairman Dickson Mafios who
said that all MPs aligned to fired former Vice-President Mujuru should be recalled from Parliament amid fears they would gang up with opposition counterparts to impeach Mugabe.
"There are also rumours that they want to impeach President Mugabe if they unite with the MDC-T. So, right now we are not sure if their allegiance is towards the President and how loyal they are to government," he said.
The MDC-T has 91 seats in House of Assembly and Senate while Zanu-PF has 234. But Zanu-PF fears that more than 100 of its-PF MPs were aligned to Mujuru and could form an alliance with MDC formations.
Source - newsday
