Presidential spokesperson George Charamba has confirmed that the first ZimEye story on Vice President Kembo’s Mohadi last week, was accurate. .

Last week Thursday Mohadi held a press conference to deny the ZimEye report that he had resigned. Inside sources had however already leaked the story.

Mohadi later resigned on Monday after ZimEye had run an undercover stint that led him to eventually step down on that day.

Commenting yesterday, Charamba wrote on his Twitter portal, @Jamwanda2, where he said: “Contrary to dominant narratives in the media, former Vice-President KCD Mohadi handed in his resignation letter to the appointing authority, His Excellency President, Cde ED Mnangagwa a week ago. Let history record this statement of fact.”

Charamba’s tweet drew a backlash from critics, who accused Mnangagwa of violating the country’s Constitution by not announcing his deputy’s resignation within 24 hours.

Section 96(2) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe (No 20) Act 2013, which Mohadi quoted in his resignation letter, states that: “A Vice-President may resign from his or her office by written notice to the President, who must give public notice of the resignation as soon as possible to do so and in any event within 24 hours.”

Several people, including exiled former Zanu PF politburo member Jonathan Moyo, among others came out guns blazing, saying Mnangagwa was in breach of the country’s supreme law.

But Charamba defended his principal, saying there was no breach of the law.

Constitutional law expert Lovemore Madhuku said Mohadi quoted a wrong section that only applied to running mates, instead of the section on appointment of Vice-Presidents.

“That section doesn’t apply to Mohadi and others. Mohadi quoted the wrong section because that section that the President must inform the nation within 24 hours applies to VPs who are running mates when they take effect,” he said.

“These VPs are just like ministers. They are no more than ministers and can be hired and fired by the President and the President did not breach any law because the law doesn’t apply.” – NewsDay/ additional reporting.