Zimbabwean high court says military action leading to Robert Mugabe's resignation was 'constitutional and lawful'

Harare: A Zimbabwean high court judge has ruled that the military action leading to Robert Mugabe’s resignation was legal. [caption id=“attachment_4210923” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Armed soldiers stand on the road leading to President Robert Mugabe’s office in Harare, Zimbabwe. AP[/caption] High court Judge George Chiweshe on Friday ruled that the military’s actions “in intervening to stop the takeover” of Mugabe’s constitutional functions “by those around him are constitutional and lawful,” said Chiweshe. The military stepped in almost two weeks ago after Mugabe’s firing of deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa amid fears that Mugabe’s wife was positioning herself to take power. Zimbabwe’s military has sought to show its actions were not a coup. The judge said the military’s actions ensured that non-elected individuals do not exercise executive functions. Separately, the judge said Mugabe’s firing of Mnangagwa as vice-president was illegal. Mnangagwa was sworn in as president on Friday in a whirlwind reversal of fortunes.