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Did Mnangagwa shut down Parliament to avoid impeachment?
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Following Parliament's adjournment on April 8 to May 6, some social media users and even one headline claimed that President Mnangagwa had "shut down Parliament". It has been suggested this was to avoid impeachment. But a closer look at Parliament's schedule tells a much more boring story - this isn't as unusual as the headlines would suggest.
Zimbabwe's Parliament takes a break around this time every year. It's part of the regular sitting calendar, and not an escalation of a political drama to keep us all entertained.
Here's a quick look at recent years:
2024: Parliament holds sessions from April 2-4 and again from April 9-11. It then adjourns on April 11 and resumes on May 7. Veritas Zimbabwe noted at the time: "Both Houses then adjourned until Tuesday 7th May for a three-week recess."
2023: The Senate adjourns on March 30 and resumes on May 9. The National Assembly continues until April 4 before breaking for Easter, also returning on May 9.
2022: Parliament meets on April 12 and 13, then adjourns for Easter, resuming on May 3.
2020: Parliament takes a longer recess during the early stages of COVID-19. After adjourning on March 18, only a small group of MPs meets briefly on May 5 to extend the break.
2019: The National Assembly adjourns on March 21 and resumes on May 7, a break of over six weeks.
So, far from being a dramatic "shutdown," the facts appear to be a lot less exciting - this appears to be standard procedure for Parliament this time of the year. When Parliament adjourns, MPs go on recess until the scheduled reconvening date - in this case, May 6, 2025.
What About Impeachment?
There's no record yet or official notice of any impeachment proceedings being launched. To impeach the President, the process starts with a formal notice backed by at least one-half of all National Assembly and Senate members. That notice would then be debated and, if passed by a two-thirds majority, referred to a joint committee for investigation, before any vote can be taken.
As of now, there's no such notice. At least, not quite yet.
Zimbabwe's Parliament takes a break around this time every year. It's part of the regular sitting calendar, and not an escalation of a political drama to keep us all entertained.
Here's a quick look at recent years:
2024: Parliament holds sessions from April 2-4 and again from April 9-11. It then adjourns on April 11 and resumes on May 7. Veritas Zimbabwe noted at the time: "Both Houses then adjourned until Tuesday 7th May for a three-week recess."
2023: The Senate adjourns on March 30 and resumes on May 9. The National Assembly continues until April 4 before breaking for Easter, also returning on May 9.
2022: Parliament meets on April 12 and 13, then adjourns for Easter, resuming on May 3.
2019: The National Assembly adjourns on March 21 and resumes on May 7, a break of over six weeks.
So, far from being a dramatic "shutdown," the facts appear to be a lot less exciting - this appears to be standard procedure for Parliament this time of the year. When Parliament adjourns, MPs go on recess until the scheduled reconvening date - in this case, May 6, 2025.
What About Impeachment?
There's no record yet or official notice of any impeachment proceedings being launched. To impeach the President, the process starts with a formal notice backed by at least one-half of all National Assembly and Senate members. That notice would then be debated and, if passed by a two-thirds majority, referred to a joint committee for investigation, before any vote can be taken.
As of now, there's no such notice. At least, not quite yet.
Source - newZWire
