By Lloyd Takawira
Social media has been awash with social media insinuations that President Emmerson Mnangagwa will not leave the country for vacation anytime soon for fear of a military coup.
The insunuations brewed after with claims that President Mnangagwa, who has been galivanting around the globe has not left the country since his deputy Constantino Chiwenga’s return from China in late November, was fearing he could be jettisoned while outside the country on holiday.
One social media user on twitter while responding to a christmas message from the President went as far as suggssting that the President was under “country arrests” from some unnamed powerful forces within his party.
However government spokespersons Mr Nick Mangwana laughed off the claims.
He said unlike the former , President Mnangagwa was not like his predecessor Robert Mugabe who would religiously take an opulent annual leave in the Far East even when the country was in a crisis.
“President Mnangagwa’s presidency is completely different from the previous dispensation. He will take his annual leave on the day of his choosing like everyone else.
“Succession in Zimbabwe happens as a constitutional process and being on leave is not one of the conditions for succession.”
Mangwana further took a swipe at “hypocrites” who were daring the President to go on vacation abroad, yet the same people always criticize him of “wasting State resources” each time he travels.
“When His Excellency leaves the country, you complain that he travels too much, he doesn’t stay at home. He stays at home you complain that he is not leaving the country.
“He is damned when he does and damned when he doesn’t. But being President, he always exercises his executive judgement,” said Mangwana.
Observers say this is th longest duration in President Mnangagwa’s two-year reign that he hasn’t left the country.
