Zimbabwe opposition member challenges Mugabe's mental and physical fitness in court

A Zimbabwe opposition supporter has asked the constitutional court to rule on whether parliament should investigate President Robert Mugabe’s mental and physical fitness to carry out his duties. 

Tinomudaishe Chinyoka, who describes himself as a long-time member of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and lawyer, presented an affidavit to the court in Harare on Friday. 

In the document, he outlined a series of events and media speculation that have raised questions about Mugabe’s ability to govern the southern African nation. 

He said the President lacks capacity for the job.

“Having a president that may lack capacity to carry out the job threatens democracy, undermines the constitution and all the rights therein and puts in jeopardy the very foundation, security and future of the nation,” Chinyoka said. 

He cited as examples Mugabe, who turns 92 in a few days, reading out the wrong speech at the opening of parliament in September, repeating the state-of-the-nation address he delivered three weeks earlier, as well as photos from last year that showed the leader descending stairs from a podium when he missed his step and fell.

Chinyoka’s action came against the backdrop of Mugabe declaring a state of national disaster due to the worst drought in almost two decades that has killed cattle, withered crops and left more than a million people needing food aid.

Mugabe’s announcement on state radio came as government ministers and United Nations officials warned of an accelerating disaster caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon that’s led to drought across southern Africa. 

The number of people needing emergency food assistance has risen to 2.4 million from 1.5 million in a nation of 12 million people, Local Government Minister Saviour Kasukuwere said in a statement handed to reporters in the capital, Harare, on Friday. 

Crops have been affected across 95 percent of the country and more than 16,000 cattle have died, he said. 

The government has earmarked $200 million for food imports, Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa told lawmakers in Harare. 

The drought has also affected regional corn producers South Africa, Malawi and Zambia.