A man walks by Zimbabwe's parliament in Harare as Parliament prepares to start impeachment proceedings against President Robert Mugabwe, November 21, 2017.(AFP/Mujahid SAFODIEN)
HARARE, Zimbabwe — Zimbabwe’s parliament opened a session on Tuesday to begin the process of impeaching President Robert Mugabe, which could lead to him being stripped of office.
Parliament speaker Jacob Mubenda gave permission for a joint session of the House of Assembly and the Senate to debate a motion that would trigger impeachment proceedings against Mugabe.
“This motion is unprecedented in the history of post-independence Zimbabwe,” Mubenda declared.
Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe delivers a speech during a graduation ceremony at the Zimbabwe Open University in Harare, where he presides as the Chancellor on November 17, 2017. (AFP PHOTO / Jekesai NJIKIZANA)
Lawmakers from across the political spectrum have called on Mugabe to quit after the military seized power and tens of thousands of citizens took to the streets to demand the 93-year-old’s resignation.
Zimbabweans gather at Unity Square opposite parliament to protest against Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe in Harare, November 21, 2017. (AFP)
They accuse him of allowing his ambitious wife Grace to plunder the country and to usurp his power.
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Editionby email and never miss our top stories
She emerged as the front-runner to replace the veteran leader when Mugabe fired his vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa.
That prompted the current crisis as the army, alarmed by Grace’s rise, deployed armored vehicles on the streets and took power.
There were tense protests outside parliament as hundreds of demonstrators — from rival political parties — shouted for Mugabe to go.
Advertisement
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
