Zimbabwe’s opposition MPs walk out of Emmerson Mnangagwa’s address
During his first state of the nation address in parliament, opposition parties heckle Mnangagwa and then file out
Harare — Zimbabwean opposition legislators walked out of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s state of the nation address to parliament on Tuesday, signalling their lingering bitterness after losing a disputed July 30 presidential and parliamentary election. MPs from the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) that is led by Nelson Chamisa heckled Mnangagwa when he started reading his speech, before filing out. Chamisa, who is not a member of parliament and lost a court challenge to Mnangagwa’s victory in August, maintains he was cheated of victory by the electoral board and says the 76-year-old president lacks legitimacy. After leaving parliament, the MDC legislators broke into song denouncing the governing Zanu-PF party. “As the MDC we cannot sit there and be addressed by a person who does not even respect the rule of law,” said MDC national chair Tabitha Khumalo. Zanu-PF’s chief whip in parliament, Pupurai Togarepi, described the legislators’ conduct as unfortunate. “We hope that over tim...
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