Mugabe impeachment gets Zanu-PF MPs buy-in

The campaign by opposition Mabvuku/Tafara legislator James Maridadi (MDC-T) for Parliament to set up a committee to investigate whether President Robert Mugabe was still fit for office with a view to impeach him has reportedly received buy-in from disgruntled Zanu PF MPs.

The ruling party legislators according to insiders however want the process done through a secret ballot for fear of reprisals.

Maridadi wants to move a vote of no confidence in Mugabe for various reasons, including failure to run the economy, rampant corruption, the missing $15 billion diamond revenue and claimed signs that the President is now incapacitated.

However, the MDC-T MP claims in a letter to Mudenda dated July 27th that the Speaker could be dragged to court.

"I note with concern that my No Confidence motion submitted to the papers office for processing has mysteriously gone missing somewhere in the system," Maridadi said in the letter copied to Clerk of Parliament Kennedy Chokuda and MDC-T chief whip Innocent Gonese.

"I therefore re-submit it for your kind consideration. Seeing as the motion is time-bound and also realizing that I initially submitted it beginning of June 2016, I wish to request a response on this re-submitted motion by close of business today, the 27th of July 2016, failure of which I will assume that Parliament is not keen to have the motion tabled. This will leave me with no option but to seek legal recourse."

Maridadi, in his motion, says Mugabe should also be removed from power because the Zanu PF leader has allowed First Lady Grace to unconstitutionally direct government operations.

"We have heard the First Lady telling party supporters that she is already in power and that the two Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko take instructions from her," the MP said.

The MDC-T legislator wants Parliament to set up a joint committee of the National Assembly and the Senate to investigate Mugabe and bring a report for debate in the August House.