Former vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa is set be sworn in as the country’s new leader on Friday, Speaker of the National Assembly, Advocate Jacob Mudenda has said.
Addressing the media on Wednesday, Advocate Mudenda confirmed receiving a letter from Zanu PF nominating Mnangagwa adding that he has already communicated with the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Misheck Sibanda to begin processes towards Mnangagwa’s installation.
“I have received a letter from ZANU PF in terms of paragraph 14(4)(b) as read in paragraph 5 of part 4 of the 6th schedule to the constitution of Zimbabwe which provides as follows:
“The political Party which is entitled to nominate must notify the speaker of the nominees name within 90 days after the vacancy occurred in the office of the President and there upon the nominee assumes office as President after taking the oath of office in terms of section 94 which the nominee must take within 48 hours after the speaker was notified of his or her name,” said Mudenda.
He added that Zanu PF had written a letter to his office prior to Mugabe’s resignation nominating Mnangagwa.
“In the letter referred to above,ZANU PF has notified me that the Central committee of ZANU PF met in a special session at the party headquarters in Harare on the 19th of November 2017 and resolved that in the event that cde Robert Mugabe resigned or was impeached, Cde Emerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa was appointed to be the ZANU PF nominee to fill the vacancy in the office of the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe in terms of part 4 of the 6th schedule of the constitution of Zimbabwe amendment number 20 paragraph 14(4b) paragraph 5,” said Mudenda.
He said, his office had since contacted the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet to make necessary arrangements for Mnangagwa to take oath of office.
“Accordingly Parliament has informed the Chief Secretary to the office of the President and cabinet of the nomination of cde Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa as the nominee in order for him to make the necessary administrative arrangements for the taking of oath of office,” said Mudenda.
Meanwhile, Mnangagwa has already jetted into the country ahead of his swearing ceremony on Friday. He was welcomed by hundreds of party supporters who gathered at Manyame Airbase since around 10am in the morning.
