Published on 16/04/2025
Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF) has dismissed any attempts to impeach President Emmerson Mnangagwa, declaring such efforts as doomed to fail due to the ruling party’s firm grip on the parliamentary system and internal discipline mechanisms.
Speaking at a Zanu-PF Mashonaland West Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) meeting held in Chegutu, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi—also a Politburo member—emphasised that Zimbabwe operates under a party-based parliamentary system, where Members of Parliament are bound by party ideology, not individual whims.
“Let me make it clear – in Zimbabwe, our Parliamentary system is party-based, and MPs do not operate on personal whims. They are bound by the party’s ideology and decisions,” Ziyambi said, as quoted by The Herald. “Zanu-PF voted President Mnangagwa into office, and any move to impeach him without the backing of the party will not succeed.”
Ziyambi’s comments follow reports that some expelled party members, including former Zanu-PF member Blessed Geza, were pushing for impeachment proceedings following the failure of protests called for on March 31.
“We thank Zanu-PF members and the citizens for ignoring the calls for protests. Now those who pushed for the protests are resorting to fantasies, thinking they can push for impeachment in Parliament,” said Ziyambi.
He stressed that the “whipping system” governs Zanu-PF MPs, ensuring they toe the party line during parliamentary debates and votes. Any defiance, he warned, would lead to the member’s recall under the party’s constitutional provisions.
“In Zimbabwe, there is no room for an MP to act outside the party line. If they decide to pursue individual interests, the party can recall them and replace them with someone who will follow the party’s directives,” he said.
Ziyambi also dismissed the idea that MPs could independently initiate impeachment proceedings, stating that any parliamentary motion must be endorsed by the party’s Chief Whip. Without that endorsement, he said, no motion would reach the parliamentary floor.
“The Chief Whip plays a pivotal role in ensuring that our party’s positions are respected in Parliament. If a motion is not supported by the Chief Whip, it simply cannot proceed,” Ziyambi explained.
He further warned those fuelling impeachment narratives on social media, calling their campaigns ignorant of the country’s constitutional and legislative frameworks.
Senate President emeritus Edna Madzongwe, also present at the meeting, backed Ziyambi’s statements, highlighting her two decades of parliamentary experience. “If you are a Zanu-PF member, you cannot act against the party’s interests,” she stated.
Also addressing the gathering, Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Marian Chombo briefed party members on preparations for Zimbabwe’s 45th Independence Day celebrations, to be hosted in Chegutu. The commemorations will include a football match between Ngezi Platinum and MWOS, along with logistics for food, entertainment, and transport.
Ziyambi’s remarks reinforce Zanu-PF’s position that its internal structures and parliamentary majority make any impeachment effort against President Mnangagwa virtually impossible.
