By Paidashe Mandivengerei
Government has scrapped the running mate clause which made Vice Presidents posts elective, giving the President power to appoint and fire his deputies.
The clause which stipulates that Vice Presidents were to be elected at the same time as the President was supposed to be implemented at the next elections in 2023.
Speaking at the post-cabinet briefing Tuesday, Information Minister, Monica Mutsvangwa said the President can remove Vice President from office or they can resign.
“Cabinet considered and approved the Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2019 which the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs presented as Chairman of the Cabinet Committee on Legislation. Some of the salient amendments to be effected will include the following:
Provision, under Section 94 of subsection (2) to allow the President-elect, as soon as he assumes office, to appoint two persons to be Vice-Presidents who shall take their oaths of office before the Chief Justice or the next senior judge available as set out in the Third Schedule;
Setting out in Section 95 the conditions under which a Vice-President will vacate office, which include resignation, removal by the President, serious misconduct, failure to uphold the Constitution or inability to perform the functions of the office due to physical or mental incapacity.”
