HARARE
–
Days
after
shutting
down
the
country
with
a
call
for
protests
against
the
government,
war
veteran
Blessed
Geza
on
Wednesday
claimed
there
was
support
from
lawmakers
to
impeach
President
Emmerson
Mnangagwa
due
to
what
he
claimed
was
the
Zanu
PF
leader’s
mental
incapacity.
Geza
claimed
Mnangagwa,
82,
had
recently
been
diagnosed
with
“vascular
dementia”
and
his
allies,
among
them
controversial
businessman
Kudakwashe
Tagwirei,
had
seized
on
the
condition
to
assign
themselves
some
of
his
duties.
The
sensational
claims
by
Geza
are
not
new,
having
previously
been
made
by
exiled
former
cabinet
minister
Saviour
Kasukuwere.
Mnangagwa’s
spokesman
George
Charamba
said
of
Kasukuwere
at
the
time:
“Where
did
he
get
his
medical
degree?”
Geza,
who
uses
YouTube
for
his
broadcasts,
had
called
mass
protests
on
March
31
to
remove
Mnangagwa,
but
many
Zimbabweans
frightened
about
potential
clashes
between
protesters
and
security
forces
stayed
home,
leaving
urban
centres
deserted.
Wanted
by
police
for
treason,
Geza
has
claimed
victory
over
the
stay-away
and
continues
to
sell
the
idea
that
Mnangagwa
can
be
ousted
before
his
term
expires
in
2028,
this
time
through
an
impeachment
process
in
parliament.
“We’re
impeaching
Emmerson
Mnangagwa
on
the
grounds
that
he
is
no
longer
mentally
fit
to
lead
the
country,”
Geza
claimed
in
the
YouTube
video
in
which
he
appeared
in
military
fatigues.
“Mnangagwa
is
suffering
from
vascular
dementia.
We
got
copies
of
these
medical
results.
His
doctors
have
already
told
him
and
his
family
is
aware…”
Geza
claimed
corrupt
businessmen
who
are
allies
of
the
president
were
making
him
sign
documents
“to
loot
the
country.”
So
bad
is
the
dementia,
Geza
claimed,
the
president
recently
failed
to
recognise
energy
minister
July
Moyo.
Geza’s
capacity
to
organise
a
rebellion
against
Mnangagwa
from
parliament
remains
highly
questionable.
Zimbabwe’s
constitution
allows
for
a
three-stage
impeachment
process.
The
Senate
and
the
National
Assembly
must
meet
in
a
joint
sitting
and
resolve,
by
a
simple
majority
of
their
total
membership,
that
the
president
should
be
removed
from
office
on
any
one
or
more
of
four
grounds
including
“inability
to
perform
his
duties
because
of
physical
or
mental
incapacity.”
Once
a
resolution
has
been
passed,
Parliament’s
Committee
on
Standing
Rules
and
Orders
must
appoint
a
nine-member
committee
of
senators
and
members
of
the
National
Assembly
to
investigate
the
removal
of
the
president.
Although
section
97
of
the
constitution
does
not
say
so,
the
committee
would
have
to
give
the
president
a
full
opportunity
to
respond
to
the
allegations
against
him
–
he
has
a
right
to
a
fair
hearing
under
section
69
of
the
constitution.
If
the
committee
recommends
that
the
president
should
be
removed
from
office,
the
Senate
and
National
Assembly
must
meet,
again
in
joint
session,
to
deliberate
the
recommendation,
and
if
in
that
joint
session
they
resolve
by
a
two-thirds
majority
of
their
total
membership
to
adopt
the
recommendation
then
the
president
immediately
ceases
to
hold
office.
Many
doubt
if
Geza,
until
recently
a
member
of
the
Zanu
PF
central
committee
before
he
was
expelled,
has
enough
backing
in
both
houses.
Mnangagwa’s
impeachment
would
open
the
path
for
one
of
his
deputies
between
Constantino
Chiwenga
and
Kembo
Mohadi
–
depending
on
who
was
last
to
act
as
president
–
to
assume
the
presidency
for
a
maximum
90
days
before
new
elections
are
called.
Poor
health
has
restricted
Mohadi’s
public
appearances
and
Chiwenga
–
who
has
publicly
been
backed
by
Geza
–
would
likely
benefit
from
Mnangagwa’s
removal.
Chiwenga,
who
led
a
coup
against
former
president
Robert
Mugabe
when
he
was
still
a
general
in
the
military,
has
not
commented
on
Geza’s
push
to
oust
Mnangagwa.