11.9.2023
9:52
Appointment
of
Vice
Presidents
In
Zimbabwe
A
petition has
been
launched
calling
upon
President
Emmerson
Mnangagwa
to
remove
Vice
President Kembo
Mohadi and
replace
him
with
a
female
Vice
President
in
Zimbabwe.
The
petition
initiated
by
one Tsitsi
Mudzombi highlights
the
need
for
gender
equality
in
public
office,
as
mandated
by
the
Constitution.
The
petitioner
argues
that
the
ruling
party,
ZANU
PF,
has
capable
women
who
should
be
respected
and
given
opportunities
in
leadership
roles.
Additionally,
the
petitioner
criticizes
Mohadi’s
alleged
immoral
behaviour,
referring
to
previous
accusations
of
sexual
abuse
that
led
to
his
resignation
in
2021.
The
petition
emphasizes
the
rejection
of
both
the
violation
of
the
Constitution’s
gender
equality
provisions
and
the
abuse
of
power
against
women. The
petition calls
for
the
removal
of
Mohadi
and
the
installation
of
a
female
Vice
President.
The
hashtags
#FemaleVPZw
and
#MohadiMustGo
are
being
used
to
raise
awareness
and
garner
support
for
the
petition. Justifying
the
petition, Tsitsi
Mudzombi said:
Zimbabwe
recently
concluded
its
harmonized
elections
in
August
2023.
Though
contested,
the
president
has
recently
sworn
in
MPs
and
Councilors.
He
also
swore
in
2
Vice
Presidents
namely
Constantine
Chiwenga
and
Kembo
Mohadi.
The
Constitution
of
Zimbabwe
Sections
17,
56
and
80
demand
that
there
be
gender
equality
across
all
public
office.
The
enactment
of
all
males
in
the
presidium
is
blatant
violation
of
the
constitution
and
the
more
than
52%
voters
that
President
Mnangagwa
cannot
keep
disrespecting.
The
ruling
party,
Zanupf
has
more
than
enough
capable
women
both
intellectually
and
war
veterans
that
must
be
respected
to
take
up
presidium.
It
is
worse
that
one
of
the
sworn
in
VPs
is
a
man
of
ill
morals.
In
2021,
the
then
Vice
President
Kembo
Mohadi
resigned
on
media
reports
that
he
had
engaged
in
improper
conduct.
Circulating
on
media
was
news
and
clips
of
how
Mohadi
had
improperly
engaged
in
sexual
liaisons
with
married
women,
including
one
of
his
subordinates.
This
is
the
same
man
being
recycled
to
lead
our
women
and
the
country.
Zimbabwean
women
and
men
reject
both
the
violation
of
the
Constitution
that
both
disregards
women
as
equals
and
also
refuse
sexual
abuse
of
women
by
such
public
and
powerful
man
as
Mohadi.
We
demand
the
removal
of
Kembo
Mohadi
and
the
installation
of
a
female
VP.
#FemaleVPZw
#MohadiMustGo
Appointment
of
Vice
Presidents
In
Zimbabwe:
For
several
years,
ZANU
PF
has
followed
the
provisions
of
the Unity
Accord
of
1987 when
appointing
Vice
Presidents.
However,
this
practice
changed
with
the
appointment
of Joice
Mujuru.
The
Unity
Accord,
signed
between
ZANU
PF
and
the
Zimbabwe
African
People’s
Union
(ZAPU),
aimed
to
foster
unity
and
reconciliation
between
the
two
political
parties
following
Gukurahundi
in
which
approximately
20
000
civilians
in
Midlands
and
Matabeleland
were
killed
by
the
North
Korean-trained
5th
Brigade.
It
outlined
a
power-sharing
agreement
that
included
the
appointment
of
two
Vice
Presidents,
one
from
each
party.
While
this
arrangement
remained
in
place
for
many
years,
the
subsequent
appointment
of
Joice
Mujuru
broke
the
tradition,
as
she
was
not
affiliated
with
ZAPU.
This
deviation
marked
a
significant
departure
from
the
established
practice.
Post
published
in:
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