Former Minister of State for Mashonaland East Province, Ambrose Mutinhiri has resigned from both Parliament and Zanu-PF saying that he came to the decision after “…carefully considering the events of the past four months, starting with the unconstitutional overthrow of the elected Head of State and Government, President Robert Mugabe and his illegal replacement with Emmerson Mnangagwa, by the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) through a military coup On 15 November 2017.”
Here is his full letter of resignation:
The Speaker National Assembly Parliament of Zimbabwe Parliament Building
Dear Sir
REF: Withdrawal of Membership from Zanu-PF and Resignation From Parliament of Zimbabwe
I write to inform you of my decision to withdraw my membership from Zanu-PF with effect from today 2 March 2018, and by that very fact, my resignation as Member of the National Assembly for Marondera West as I was elected on a Zanu-PF ticket.
I have taken this decision after carefully considering the events of the past four months, starting with the unconstitutional overthrow of the elected Head of State and Government, President Robert Mugabe and his illegal replacement with Emmerson Mnangagwa, by the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) through a military coup On 15 November 2017. It is a matter of profound national concern to me that, subsequent to the military coup, Zanu-PF, as well as government and State institutions, have been captured by ZDF in blatant and unprecedented violation of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
As a trained soldier, a former freedom fighter, a former ZIPRA Commander during the liberation struggle, a former diplomat and a former cabinet minister, I am too aware of not only the values and ethos of Zimbabwe’s armed liberation struggle and the subsequent role the founding commanders of the liberation envisaged for the national army in independent Zimbabwe but also of the functions and limits of the ZDF as enshrined in the Constitution of Zimbabwe authored through a people drive process and adopted after a national referendum as recent as 2013. The fundamental values and tenets of both Zimbabwe’s heroic liberation struggle and the Constitution of Zimbabwe dictate that executive authority is derived from the people and not from the gun. In other words, the enduring principle of Zimbabwe’s armed liberation struggle and constitutional democracy is that politics must always lead the gun. The ZDF coup of 15 November 2017 violated a cherished heritage of our armed liberation struggle and of our hard-won constitutional democracy.
I am, therefore, not lost to the illegality of the actions of a few rogue elements in the command structure of the ZDF who abused their positions to turn the guns they were entrusted with by the people of Zimbabwe to defend our sovereignty, into weapons to shoot their way into national politics and to seize control of both the State and Zanu-PF.
Our national constitution clearly defines the role of the ZDF and outlaws any of its serving members from engaging in partisan politics as was witnessed on 15 November 2017 when some rogue elements in the Command Structure staged a coup in the name of ZDF under the shocking pretext of averting a Zanu-PF electoral loss in the forthcoming harmonised elections.
It is now very clear for all to see that the party that was formed and driven by the liberation struggle guiding principle in Zipra and Zanla that politics must always lead the gun, has been hijacked and corrupted by fascist elements who suffer from the mistaken belief that access to the armoury gives them the right to dictate who should lead Zimbabwe and its people.
I am a firm believer, as a disciplined former soldier and product of our nationalist movements, in the sanctity of democratic ethos and constitutionalism that put our people as the only source of legitimacy in the governance structures from local to national levels.The fact that the ZDF trampled on the values and ideals of Zimbabwe’s armed liberation struggle and the country’s Constitution is bad enough, what is worse and totally unacceptable is that Parliament, which has a duty and obligation to defend the Constitution also sought to be part of this shameless illegality. I have no doubt that history will judge this Parliament harshly for failing to defend the fundamental law of the land in a misguided attempt to justify a military coup.
I, therefore, condemn and despise any attempt at usurping the people’s power by those entrusted with the national duty to protect the country’s citizens and their leadership. I, like many others in the country and particularly in Zanu-PF, refuse to be associated with such illegality in the false name of restoring the legacy of President Mugabe, let alone that of our heroic armed liberation struggle.
The turning of guns against an elected President of the Republic by the ZDF, in a constitutional democracy is, by extension, the turning guns and military tanks on the millions who voted President Mugabe into power. It is therefore incumbent upon every patriotic, law-abiding, Zimbabwean to stand up and condemn the coup and make sure that; never again will such an affront to the Constitution be allowed.
I am aware, as is everyone else who cares to look at the situation closely that Zimbabweans from all the country’s ten provinces are not happy with the militarization of our national politics. As such, I have chosen to be on the side of the people and to move forward with the people to restore normalcy, democracy, constitutionalism and legitimacy in Zimbabwe as a matter of national urgency.
Lastly, it was an honour and a privilege for me to serve the wonderful people of Marondera West as their Member of Parliament. I wish to take this opportunity to assure them I’ll forever be one of them. In this regard, I, therefore, shall always remain committed to their quest for development and true national unity with a common and inclusive purpose in accordance with the values and ideals of our heroic armed liberation struggle and the tenets of our constitutional democracy.
Aluta Continua. Asante Sana.
Sincerely
Honourable Rtd Brigadier General Ambrose Mutinhiri,
MP Marondera WestCC. Dr Obert Mpofu Secretary for Administration, Zanu-PF
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When nutty Mugabe subverted the will of the ppl for 37years where were u .?when he butchered ppl in matebeleland you kept quiet,when he raped an election in 2008what did u do if you had a conscience,on top of mugabe in the dustbin fusek
@ Lesiva, taura zvako hapana chokwadi chinopfuura ipapo
This guy knows Zanu PF is finished .
Politics must lead the gun ,this is bull shit ,when Mugabe was ruling he was using the power of the gun to intimidate the poor zimbos ,the army itself was leading everything in zimbo that is why he was removed by his gun kwaaakwaa
“It is now very clear for all to see that the party that was formed and driven by the liberation struggle guiding principle in Zipra and Zanla that politics must always lead the gun, has been hijacked and corrupted by fascist elements who suffer from the mistaken belief that access to the armoury gives them the right to dictate who should lead Zimbabwe and its people. ”
Well, what if the politics itself gets hijacked by a family dynasty North Korea style, Kabila father and son style? common sense tells you in the case of Zimbabwe Mugabe used the above liberation war doctrine to hijack the political landscape for self and family , hence something drastic had to be done. Even the opposition now feels much more encouraged in their campaign than when the Mugabe family tyranny was in control. So sod off brigadier, you wont be missed.
Magona matiza musati maane ngozi,the rate of understanding is different,
As a a former Zipra cadre, I know Ambrose very well. He is a very intellient and wise polititian. However in this case he did not apply his mind fully. Zanu PF was not elected on a free and fair platform. Mugabe has been riging the elections. As a man of principle, I am surprised that Ambrose tolerated ZPF’s robing and riging of those elections and chose to remain within ZPF. This is the very ZPF whih forced us into the disbanding of ZAPU to form a one party state. I fully understand exactly where Ambrose is coming from, but if the retired General could tolerate a ZPF luting the elecions in 2008 sure he can tolerate a less evel current ZPF.
You did not apply your mind fully here Mr Mutinhiri.
Lesiva, where was ED, and the army during those 37 years, who was directing the Gukurahundi, in the early 1980s, if Mugabe s power was around the army and ED then we know who perpetrated the massacre in Matebeleland.
I was there in person when our home was ransacked by the 5th Brigade in 22 July 1982, when 5 people were killed same day in front of us, though l was a 9 year old, do you know how traumatising it is to have a gun pointed to you at that age, where were, or you were enjoying the same which you are enjoying today. ED and these gun touting commanders and all those who were in Zanu PF since time immemorial, are the same.
We have seen people who are career ministers during and after Mugabe. Zvakadhakwa zvose, now you are holding hostage a small boy in Midlands for peaceful protesting the injustices by putting banana plantation on banana terrain which is supposedly our roads.
sisiman
good waona kutihapana zvichabuda ukatindigare ndaenda well done boy.
Looks like someone resigning to forestall the embarrassment of being replaced as ZANU PF candidate for Marondera West in this year’s elections! Mugabe ruled by the gun. Why did you not resign then.
Following closely from Kenya.
Honourable its not he is resigning but he smells the end of ZANU pf era.Famba chinyararire makauraya varungu kumarondera
Tsek sisman
thnx Mr Mutinhiri