News / National
Retired army general questions Mnangagwa's reported ‘Nicodemus' departure
2 hrs ago |
102 Views
Retired Lieutenant General Winston Sigauke has raised concerns over reports that President Emmerson Mnangagwa allegedly left the country secretly for visits to Russia and Belarus without the customary official send‑off ceremony.
In a statement addressed to "Fellow Zimbabweans", Sigauke claimed he had received "credible reports" that the President departed "under cover of darkness and without any public notice". He alleged that Mnangagwa first travelled to Russia before proceeding to Belarus.
Sigauke said what he found "most disturbing" was the absence of the traditional airport send‑off usually attended by Cabinet ministers, service chiefs, diplomats and senior government officials.
"Instead, the President's spokesperson has issued a terse statement describing the event as nothing more than a routine ‘handover‑takeover of the presidency' from the President to the Acting President," Sigauke said.
He described the reported developments as "highly irregular", saying they raised "serious questions about transparency and the true state of the nation's leadership".
"A Head of State does not slip out of the country in secrecy and then have his spokesperson call it a simple administrative handover," he said.
Sigauke, who described himself as a retired senior officer who served the nation "with honour and loyalty", said Zimbabweans deserved clarity regarding the President's whereabouts and the purpose of the reported trip.
"The people of Zimbabwe deserve the truth. National stability and constitutional order must never be treated as matters of convenience or hidden manoeuvres," he said.
He called on the Acting President and relevant state institutions to publicly explain the circumstances surrounding the reported visit and the nature of the "handover‑takeover" arrangement.
In a statement addressed to "Fellow Zimbabweans", Sigauke claimed he had received "credible reports" that the President departed "under cover of darkness and without any public notice". He alleged that Mnangagwa first travelled to Russia before proceeding to Belarus.
Sigauke said what he found "most disturbing" was the absence of the traditional airport send‑off usually attended by Cabinet ministers, service chiefs, diplomats and senior government officials.
"Instead, the President's spokesperson has issued a terse statement describing the event as nothing more than a routine ‘handover‑takeover of the presidency' from the President to the Acting President," Sigauke said.
He described the reported developments as "highly irregular", saying they raised "serious questions about transparency and the true state of the nation's leadership".
"A Head of State does not slip out of the country in secrecy and then have his spokesperson call it a simple administrative handover," he said.
Sigauke, who described himself as a retired senior officer who served the nation "with honour and loyalty", said Zimbabweans deserved clarity regarding the President's whereabouts and the purpose of the reported trip.
"The people of Zimbabwe deserve the truth. National stability and constitutional order must never be treated as matters of convenience or hidden manoeuvres," he said.
He called on the Acting President and relevant state institutions to publicly explain the circumstances surrounding the reported visit and the nature of the "handover‑takeover" arrangement.
Source - Byo24News
Join the discussion
Loading comments…
