Former Zanu PF Mashonaland Central youth chairperson, Godfrey Tsenengamu stuck to his guns and said there is nothing wrong with calling for the retirement of President Robert Mugabe. However, Tsenengamu clarified saying that he was calling for the removal of Mugabe as party president of Zanu PF and not as state president. Tsenengamu is facing charges of subverting a constitutionally-elected government after he held a press statement in which he called for Mugabe to step down to make way for Mnangagwa.
Appearing before High Court judge, Justice Priscilla Chigumba, Tsenengamu’s lawyer Zivanai Macharaga said:
What was being discussed wasn’t State President, but party president. There is a difference between political party and State Presidency. It is not a crime to advocate the removal of a party president, but when it comes to State President, one has to look if the removal is unconstitutional or not
President is defined in terms of section 89 of the Constitution as, ‘the President is the Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces. The President described by statutes is not a political party president, but State President
The state applied for a postponement to give it time to file its response.
More: News Day
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