Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC-T has accused President Robert Mugabe of violating the Constitution by allowing the military to dabble in politics.
The party said President Mugabe had admitted “he was the principal power source” of the military, who were involved in politics and was therefore responsible for the “unending investor anxiety, fear and political instability”.
President Mugabe on Saturday told his political foes and Parliament, which has been debating the conduct of service chiefs such as Brigadier-General Douglas Nyikayaramba, they should not meddle with the command of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces as he was the commander-in-chief.
Nyikayaramba recently said he would not salute any President who did not have liberation war credentials even if they would have won an election. Yesterday, MDC-T, however, said:
“The Constitution of Zimbabwe and the accompanying statutes, which (President) Mugabe swore to uphold are very clear. Chapter 11.02 of the Defence Act; Chapter 11.10 of the Police Act; Chapter 7.11 of the Prison Act and Chapter 11.04 of the Public Service Act demand the neutrality of the military, the police force and the prison staff and all civil servants in matters of politics, governance and public administration.
“. . . Further Article XIII of the GPA, an inter-party arrangement brokered by Sadc with the support of the African Union and saved (President) Mugabe from extra battering and humiliation after Zanu PF and he dismally lost the March 29 2008 election, requires all State organs and institutions to stay away from partisan politics.”
The party said under the Privileges and Immunities Act, a parliamentary committee has the authority to summon any Zimbabwean to appear before it to provide information on any matter that is in the national interest.
It said it would be unconstitutional for the President to interfere with the Legislature, from debating the conduct of the service chiefs.
