I Was Forced To Resign, Mnangagwa Is In Power Illegally, Elections Will Not Be Free And Fair: Mugabe Tells AU Chair

Former president Robert Mugabe is reported to have told African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat that Zimbabwe is now under military rule and that he was forced to resign last November. The former president also told the Mahamat that the 2018 elections will not be free and fair as the country is under military rule.  However, despite all this,  Mahamat endorsed Mnangagwa’s government.

According to notes from the Monday meeting which were quoted by the weekly publication, The Zimbabwe Independent, Mugabe said:

….At home, I worked closely with the late vice-president Joshua Nkomo to build a professional army hr our newly-independent and democratic state We had gone to war to fight to defeat and reject colonialism In the process we also rejected military rule and this has always been important and consistent with our liberation struggle principles that we will not allow the gun to lead politics. Our philosophy is politics leads the gun.

It is tragic and sad that in Zimbabwe since November 15 government and state institutions have been taken over by the military which is now part of the current unconstitutional administration.

I was pressured by the army to resign; I did so in order to avoid conflict and bloodshed in my country. I was worried because it had been brought to my attention that people had been intimidated, illegally seized, attacked, homes had been raided at gunpoint and destroyed, and weapons confiscated from other state security agencies.

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The army had been unconstitutionally deployed without permission of the commander-in-chief and soldiers continue to be used in this operation. So from a constitutional point of view, he (Mnangagwa) is there unconstitutionally.

Mnangagwa is in power illegally, yet some of his officials dare call me a dictator. What dictator?

….Anyway, that’s situation on the ground in Zimbabwe. Now you want to know whether elections will be free and fair. Of course, I don’t think so. How can they be free and fair when the military is running everything?

...I’m going, to tell the truth; there is no more democracy anymore in Zimbabwe. How can it be Is there when the military is ruling? I’m saying this as Robert Mugabe and, of course, I am not afraid of anyone. I was imprisoned for 11 years by the Rhodesians so there is nothing to fear.

Please don’t appease them. Be honest and tell them the truth. guide them forward. We want you to assist to restore normalcy and democracy in the country and stop this thing of ruling through guns.

More: The Zimbabwe Independent