Support Mnangagwa’s Constitutional Amendment Bill or resign – Attorney General tells Chiwenga
ATTORNEY General, Virginia Mabiza has warned Cabinet members against distancing themselves or publicly posture against decisions made at that level.
In a statement over the weekend, Mabiza said those doing so should just resign.
Attorney General Virginia Mabiza
The AG, a trusted ally of Mnangagwa, said this in a veiled response to Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s continued resistance of constitutional amendments that will keep President Emmerson Mnangagwa in office beyond the mandated two five-year terms.
Chiwenga’s stance on Constitutional Amendment Bill No.3 (CAB3) no longer needs analysts, scientists or political experts to discern, he is against Mnangagwa’s proposal to extend the final Presidential term and those of Parliamentarians by two more years to 2030.
He is against the proposed scrapping of Presidential elections, which if CAB3 is passed, will now be the preserve of Parliament.
“Cabinet members are accountable collectively and individually to the President for the performance of their functions,” said Mabiza.
“The President can reprimand, reassign, demote, or dismiss an individual minister or even a Vice President without bringing down the whole Cabinet.
“Once Cabinet adopts a policy, every Cabinet member must publicly support and defend it, even if they privately disagree. This is more or less Cabinet solidarity, literally speaking.
“Confidentiality ought to be observed in terms of Cabinet rules. Discussions stay in Cabinet. A member is not allowed to leak or distance themselves later.
“The legal effect of this is that no minister can publicly contradict official Government policy. If a minister can’t support a Cabinet decision, the obvious option is to resign.”
Chiwenga shook corridors last weekend when he gave a telling sermon at a Roman Catholic Church event in Murewa, Mashonaland East province.
The former army general preached about the biblical King Hezekiah, who requested God for more time as leader after Prophet Isaiah had brought word that Jehovah wanted him to put his house in order.
Although King Hezekiah was granted 15 more years to live, he spent them in jail after people revolted against his reign.
Chiwenga’s sermon was likened to Mnangagwa’s attempts to remain in office by analysts and political players.
Added Mabiza: “The President can also remove any member of Cabinet, as they all serve at his pleasure.
“Ministers are accountable individually to the President for the administration of their ministries. The President appoints and may remove ministers at his discretion – Section 104(2).
“In other words, each minister, Deputy Minister, or Vice President can be fired on their own for messing up their job. But they also can’t throw Cabinet under the bus, as they’re tied to joint decisions and must defend them.” – _*NewZimbabwe*_
