Zimbabwe Presidential Inauguration Thursday

African Union observer mission leaders meet with President Mugabe who won re-election on July 31, 2013., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

President’s inauguration Thursday

August 19, 2013
Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter
Zimbabwe Herald

PRESIDENT Mugabe’s inauguration as Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces has been tentatively set for this Thursday after his resounding election victory in the July 31 harmonised elections in which he soundly defeated MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai. This also follows the withdrawal of Mr Tsvangirai’s election petition in the Constitutional Court and the endorsement of the poll by the Sadc summit which ended in Lilongwe, Malawi, yesterday.

According to the Constitution, in the event that there was a court challenge to the election of a President, swearing in of the President should take place 48 hours after the Constitutional Court has made a ruling which upholds the election of that President.

Mr Tsvangirai had approached the Constitutional Court seeking to nullify President Mugabe’s election.

He, however, withdrew his petition last Friday, but Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku ordered that lawyers for both parties meet at the Constitutional Court today.

Sources say the court is likely to make its ruling today, paving the way for President Mugabe’s inauguration.

Addressing hundreds of Zanu-PF supporters at Harare International Airport on his return from Malawi yesterday, the President said the Sadc summit endorsed the elections, despite efforts by Western powers and non-governmental organisations who sought to discredit the polls.

President Mugabe said the inauguration would be followed by a process of selecting Government Ministers from a pool of Members of Parliament.

“Tinoda kuti pasvondo rinouya, ringave zuvareChina kanataronga, ndipo patichazenge tinemhemberero. Ndipo patichazotora mhiko, mushure maizvozvo tichazoongorora pavanhu vamakatipa, vamakavhotera vanekodzero yekutungamirira vanhu muhurumende, maministers (This coming week, maybe on Thursday, we will have a ceremony to take oath of office, after which we will assess the people you elected to come up with a Cabinet),” said President Mugabe.

The summit, he said, dismissed attempts to discredit the polls because Sadc had sent its teams to observe the polls while the facilitator and South African President Mr Jacob Zuma told the meeting that the polls were credible.

“Tauya takatakura huchi hwega hwega. Hameno zvimaNGO zvakaenda zvichiti haiwa hazvina kubuda zvakanaka. Zvakanzwika nani izvozvo nekuti vakazviwonera, vakanga vatuma vanhu vavo? Imi maNGOs keep your lies to yourself,” he said.

The President said Zimbabwe would from next year, assume the chair of Sadc and will host the summit where Heads of State and Government of the 14-member body will attend.

Zimbabwe, he said, should adequately prepare in terms of food requirements and other necessities to host several Heads of State and Government when Harare assumes the chairmanship of the regional bloc.

“Gore rinouya tirikuti Zimbabwe, ichitungamirirwa naVaMugabe ndivo vachakweva Sadc, saka uSadc chairmanship gore rinouya ndisu, togadzirira,” he said.

The President said the summit was unanimous in endorsing the poll and had congratulated Zimbabwe for holding a credible election.

Attempts by Britain and some NGOs to discredit the elections failed because other countries and groupings had accepted the results.

These include Comesa, the African Union, China, Russia, and the African Caribbean and Pacific members among others.

Turning to Mr Tsvangirai’s election petition challenging the election result, President Mugabe said he heard while in Malawi that the MDC-T leader had voluntarily abandoned his case.

He said Mr Tsvangirai withdrew his election challenge because he did not have a valid case.

“Wamboenda wakashinga kudare, wozotuvaira woti ndashaya mhosva yatingape, vakanga vaona kuti hapana nyaya yavangaenda nayo kunomhan’ara. Murume mukuru unenge wambosumuka, wakakwinya mabhurugwa, wotora mapfumo woti ndavakuenda kunomhan’ara, watotakura magumbeze uchiti ndirikunoita mazuva ndiriko, wosvika wondandama. Ko zvowondandamazve? Haana kutandwa kuti ha-a ibvamuno washaya mhosva, iye akangotarisa pasi. Ndizvo zvatakangozonzwawo zvotaurwa mumhepo,” he said.

The President also drew laughter from the crowd when he commented on Mr Tsvangirai’s love life characterised by several women.

“Kana muchitungamirwa nerombe risina kana pfungwa yakatwasanuka, anoti apa ndabata, uyu ndatora, ndadonhedza. Ko pako ndepapi, wabva washaya waungati uyu ndiye wangu, ukangotarira, wava wangu? Vanhu vavakutoviga vana vavo. Ko dai waigotora pachokwadi. Zvino zvekuti woti mazuva maviri handichamuda,” said President Mugabe.

The President was welcomed by Vice President Mujuru, Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, State Security Minister Sydney Sekeramayi, Transport, Communication and Infrastructural Development Minister Nicholas Goche, service chiefs and senior Government officials.