Mnagagwa heads on annual leave, appoints Deputy President to take over
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has taken his annual leave and handed over executive authority to his Vice President.
In a statement issued by the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr Misheck Sibanda confirmed that Mnangagwa will spend his three-week vacation in the country.
He will be away till the end of the month.
“During this period, Hon. Vice President, Gen (Retd) Dr C.G.D.N. Chiwenga, will be acting President,” the statement read.
It added that the president will be on leave from January 13 until February 5, 2022.
HE President @edmnangagwa started his annual leave on 13 January 2022. His vacation runs until 5 February 2022. Honourable Vice President Dr C.D.G.N Chiwenga is Acting President during this period. pic.twitter.com/91P9gzDsRI
— Ministry of Information, Publicity & Broadcasting (@InfoMinZW) January 14, 2022
Zimbabwe traditionally has two vice presidents, last year when he took his annual leave the president handed over to the two of them, and they acted in turns.
Such acts of transferring power to the Deputy are rare even though President Uhuru Kenyatta who is almost done with his presidency shocked Kenyans in 2014 in a rare political moment when he handed power to his deputy William Ruto in an acting capacity as he prepared to attend his status conference at The Hague.
The president invoked article 147 (2) of the constitution in making the decision. The brief ceremony took place at the 2nd floor boardrooms of the Harambee House building that houses the Office of the president.
President Kenyatta made the unprecedented announcement during an address to a special session of Parliament.
President Kenyatta explained that the decision to hand power to his deputy was meant to ensure that the sovereignty and democratic will of Kenyans will not be subjected to a foreign jurisdiction.
After the address at Parliament, President Kenyatta walked to his Harambee House office, where he formally transferred power to his deputy.
He emerged minutes later and left in a private vehicle without his aide-de-camp.
The presidential motorcade was handed over to Ruto.