ZANU-PF says the removal of former President Robert Mugabe
in November 2017 was the party’s internal project and the opposition MDC was
only roped in as a back-up against some ruling party members deciding against
the impeachment of the former president in Parliament.
During Operation Restore Legacy, Zanu-PF recalled Mr Mugabe
– then the party’s president and First Secretary – before instituting
impeachment proceedings in Parliament which also involved opposition
legislators.
And as the August House sat on the afternoon of November
21, Mr Mugabe tendered his resignation, writing to the Clerk of Parliament that
he was stepping down. Yesterday, Zanu-PF
Secretary for Legal Affairs Cde Paul Mangwana dismissed as false claims by MDC
Alliance leader Mr Nelson Chamisa that Zanu-PF and MDC-T had agreed on a
Transitional Authority.
Mr Chamisa wildly claimed at the memorial service of the
late opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai in Buhera at the weekend that
President Mnangagwa had betrayed the late Mr Tsvangirai by allegedly
backtracking on concessions he made to secure the opposition leader’s backing
in the ouster of the former president.
When Mr Mugabe fell, the stricken Mr Tsvangirai left
hospital in South Africa in apparent anticipation of trappings of the
development.
But Cde Mangwana said Mr Tsvangirai was only promised his
pension and that his welfare would be looked after, a promise which Government
has since fulfilled.
“I was involved in the discussions and we never deliberated
on a transitional authority or any coalition,” he said. “This was purely a
Zanu-PF internal process. The only role played by MDC-T was as an insurance in Parliament
in case some of our legislators did not show up for the vote of no confidence.”
Cde Mangwana said Zanu-PF had a two thirds majority and
could have removed the former president without the involvement of the
opposition party.
“So, there was no talk of any coalition at any point,” he
said.
“Zanu-PF had the majority to govern by itself. Whoever is
saying anything to the contrary is peddling falsehoods.”
Mr Chamisa was quoted saying: “Tsvangirai told me that
Chamisa, we are now going to help remove the poverty caused by Mugabe, but the
assurance I have is that we are going to have a transitional authority.”
“I said to him, this was a good thing, but asked him if he
was sure about the people he was dealing with and he said ‘let us give them time’.
We gave them time and they betrayed my old man.”
Zanu-PF resolved to impeach former president Mugabe on
November 20, 2017 after he refused to resign.
The resolution to impeach Mr Mugabe was reached by a caucus
of Zanu-PF parliamentarians.
The party said the former president faced several charges
including allowing his wife Dr Grace Mugabe to usurp constitutional powers when
she was not an elected official.
On November 21, 2017, Mr Mugabe resigned from office
following a week of unrelenting pressure from the public and his own party
Zanu-PF for him to step down after 37 years at the helm.
Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda
made the announcement during a joint sitting of the National Assembly and
Senate in the capital that was debating a motion to impeach the now former
President. Herald
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