Obert Mpofu formally resigns from Senate to pave way for Mathema

Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front Secretary for Administration Obert Mpofu formally resigned from the Senate on Tuesday paving way for Cain Mathema who was appointed to replace him as Minister of Home Affairs to take his seat.

Movement for Democratic Change legislator Innocent Gonese, who was the party’s chief whip in the eighth Parliament, yesterday told the House that President Emmerson Mnangagwa must not be allowed to flout the Constitution as he had appointed more unelected candidates as ministers than allowed by the law.

The President is allowed to appoint only five unelected candidates as ministers but he appointed six.

He appointed Cain Mathema as Minister of Home Affairs, Kirsty Coventry Minister of Youth, Sports and Arts, Mthuli Ncube Minister of Finance, Obadiah Moyo Minister of Health, Amon Murwira Minister of Higher Education and July Moyo Minister of Local Government.

Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, who is leader of the House, said the issue was being corrected.

The President of the Senate, Mabel Chinomona, notified the Senate on Tuesday, that she had received Mpofu’s resignation letter.

When a member resigns from the Senate, the vacancy is filled by a member of his or her party but the replacement must be of the same sex- that is a female Senator is replaced by a female senator and a male one by a male colleague.

There is already a vacancy in the Senate in Matebeleland North following the death of Thokozile Mathuthu but Mathema could not fill that vacancy since it is reserved for a woman.

Gonese was, however, right to insist that one of the ministers, especially Mathema, must step down until the due process is completed because Chinomona still has to notify the President after which the vacancy is gazetted and then filled.

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