Mnangagwa a coup leader who was illegimate to have even stood for July elections

As the nation of Zimbabwe grapples with the crucial debate over the validity of the 30 July presidential election results, we all seem to be missing one very critical matter - Emmerson Mnangagwa was illigimate to have stood for the election, to start off with!

As much as Mnangagwa would have wanted to use these watershed elections to justify and legitimize his presidency of Zimbabwe, but the truth be told - there is nothing that he can ever do.

The very fact that he came to power through an illegal military coup, rendered him an illegimate president who should rather have been arrested for treason - facing a life in prison - than be allowed to continue with his hijacking of the highest office in the land.

To start off with, Mnangagwa - as an illegimate president - never had the authority to appoint Justice Priscilla Chigumba as the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) chairperson - thereby, making the whole election process null and void.

A ZEC, whose leader was illegimately appointed, is not eligible to organise and run any election, and the 30 July elections should never be regarded as binding.

Secondly, Mnangagwa, as an illegimate president, could not have declared the dates of the elections - in other words, the 30 July elections should never be recognised.

How can someone who illegally overthrew a 'democratically elected' president be allowed and be recognised to masquerade as the new leader, and as such, arrange an election?

If - for argument's sake - we are to recognise Mnangagwa as the president of Zimbabwe, and MDC's Nelson Chamisa were to overthrow him today, would anyone recognise any new elections organised by him?

If the answer is 'no', then what is different with what Mnangagwa did?

Mnangagwa was never the president of Zimbabwe, and he is NOT the president of Zimbabwe!

The world should not be hoodwinked by this charlatan of a president.

He took power from a sitting president by power, and how can he suddenly be legitimized by staging elections that he had no authority in running?

We all upon the international community not to stand by and endorse this sham of an election, and the sham of a president.

What is the global community teaching the world when they fall over each other in sending their approval for such unconstitutional actions by individuals, with the backing of the military?

Can we all now take up weapons and overthrow governments, then organize elections months later - which will be happily endorsed by the international community?

Please wake up!

This should never be allowed in the modern 21st century, where we all expect civilization, as opposed to barbarism - which we, unfortunately, still witness in Zimbabwe.

Where are the global beacons of democracy?

All those who purport to be vanguards of democracy should actually be at the forefront of calling upon Mnangagwa to step down, for him to be prosecuted face justice.

Should criminals not be in jail...and not in presidential palaces?

The world should now mandate the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to immediately make a resolution demanding the resignation of Mnangagwa, thereby paving the way for the international body to organise fresh legitimate elections in Zimbabwe - as what happened in 1980.

If this does not happen, the international community would have grossly failed the people of Zimbabwe, and could lead to further turmoil, which can, in all likelihood, turn into a bloodbath - as Zimbabweans can not be silent anymore.

° Peace Chiwara Marangwanda is a UK based Zimbabwean activist