What transpired yesterday during the impeachment of Mugabe proceedings – full debate

So, I support the motion that Hon. Mutsvangwa has brought to the fore because we looked and saw a lot of misdemeanors and infringement in the Constitution which we must protect. We are bringing this motion before this august House in good faith Mr. Speaker Sir because of what had been singled out, the characters that came out of the motion that Hon. Mutsvangwa has brought to the fore. Section 3 (1) (h) of the Constitution talks about founding values of this important nation called Zimbabwe. There is one founding value that I want to discuss which talks about good governance. There is another value Mr. Speaker Sir, which talks about respect for the people.

Mr. Speaker Sir, as we govern, we draw our legitimacy from the people but when we do wrong, the people again have a legal moral right and obligation to withdraw that legitimacy. So, this is basically what we are doing as a nation – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] – Mr. Speaker, quoting His Excellency’s words when he gave a press statement; he acknowledged that there is a crisis in this country. I would like in my debate to congratulate Gen. Constantino Guvheya Chiwenga for moving in very fast or swiftly to ensure that we remain a peaceful nation and rectify the problem that this nation faces.

Suffice to say, this motion Mr. Speaker should be supported from the Senate to the National Assembly, both Houses supporting it vigorously so that we live in a peaceful nation and these infringements should in any event be avoided with whoever shall be coming. Suffice to say Mr. Speaker Sir that ZANU PF is a party that can cleanse itself when there is any messy in the house and this is what ZANU PF has basically done and we should – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –

THE HON. SPEAKER: I stand corrected. Indeed there was Hon. Senator Chipanga who is supposed to speak. Please proceed with your debate.

 HON. SEN. CHIPANGA:  Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.  I rise to add my voice to this very important motion raised by Hon. Mutsvangwa.  Mr. Speaker, like those who spoke before me, I rise to speak but with a very heavy heart.  This is because we are talking about a man with war credentials, a man who liberated this country, a man that I worked with for a long time but here we are.  We now find ourselves in a situation where he has just gone wrong.

 Mr. Speaker, we are all in a quandary where whilst we acknowledge that this was a man with war credentials, but as time went by, I suppose because of age, he began to flounder each and every time he took decisions.  Mr. Speaker, I am referring to particularly where one of his Vice Presidents, Vice President Mphoko was seen moving around police stations causing release of people who have been arrested – [HON. MEMBERS:  Hear, hear] – and he did nothing about it.  That was also evident that he was no longer the man that we all knew.    

Mr. Speaker, I also want to say it is unfortunate that Cde. Robert Gabriel Mugabe is now leaving office through the wrong door.  It has been my wish Mr. Speaker that he should have tendered his resignation so that by now we could be all clapping hands and say here is the man who liberated us, here is the man who led this country for so many years but now we find ourselves in a situation where we sit here and cause him to resign.

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