What Should Be Done To Impeach President Robert Mugabe?

These are the processes involved in removing a Zimbabwean head of state.

Not many thought that they would live to see the demise of President Robert Mugabe as the leader of Zimbabwe. But after an enduring 37-year rule, Zimbabweans have had enough and are now supporting the army in bringing the notorious African leader to his knees through a bid to have him impeached.

The constitution of Zimbabwe states the removal of a president should be for serious misconduct; failure to obey, uphold or defend this constitution; willful violation of this constitution; as well as the Inability to perform the functions of the office because of physical or mental incapacity.

The first step to getting rid of Mugabe is the tabling of a motion that has already been put forward after a caucus by Zanu-PF parliamentarians, which was attended by 230 MPs out of 260 members who have endorsed the impeachment.

The reasons for the motion was proposed on Monday, stating the continuous dismissal of Mugabe's vice-presidents, whom he has accused of plotting to assassinate him and forcibly take over power, as one of the reasons.

The lack of meaningful development in the country in the past 15 years, resulting in economic instability and inflation, which led in the country abandoning our currency in favour of a multicurrency system is also highlighted.

But the main reason is allowing his wife, Grace Mugabe, to seize constitutional power when she was not an elected official.

In an interview with iHarare, Zanu-PF deputy secretary for legal affairs, Paul Mangwana, explained the sequence of events that will lead to Mugabe's impeachment.

The motion to remove the president is expected to be tabled in parliament on Tuesday, where charges can only be laid once 50% of the house votes in favour of the motion.

Then a committee of nine has to be established to investigate the allegations. This committee must then report to parliament.

If Mugabe's removal is recommend, there must be a vote of joint houses (National Assembly and Senate), which must achieve a two-thirds majority. Only then he will have to step down.

Unisa Professor Shadrack Gutto told HuffPost that he believed if the process was done accordingly, it could be a quick process.

"Zanu-PF has the majority in parliament, although they were not properly elected and they also need to vote for Mugabe to be impeached. Impeachment works quickly and Robert Mugabe can be removed from power," Gutto explained.

Gutto believes Mugabe should have used the opportunity he had on Monday to step down.

"The army wants to give him the easy way out, which he does not recognise. The people's power combined with the military will get rid of him," says Gutto.

Despite Mugabe's refusal to accept his fate and hand over the baton to fired vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa, Gutto said he doubts there could be any form of violence erupting in the country durinfg the transition of power.

"Unless people who support him [Mugabe] and benefit from him engineer some kind of violence, I do not think there will be violence," he said.

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