HARARE, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Former minister in the old government led by Robert Mugabe, Ambrose Mutinhiri, has become the first ruling Zanu-PF party member to voluntarily resign as a legislator in protest over Mugabe's ouster following a military intervention last November.

Mutinhiri has since written a letter to the Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda notifying him of his withdrawal of membership from the ruling party and resignation from Parliament.

"I have taken this decision after carefully considering the events of the past four months, starting with the unconstitutional overthrow of the elected Head of State and Government, President Robert Mugabe and his illegal replacement with Emmerson Mnangagwa, by the Zimbabwe Defence Forces through a military coup on 15 November 2017," he said.

Mutinhiri was until the last cabinet reshuffle by new President Emmerson Mnangagwa the Minister of State for Mashonaland East Provincial Affairs.

Mnangagwa did not retain him when he named his new government leadership.

State media on Monday quoted unnamed sources alleging that Mutinhiri had become a proxy for Mugabe and his wife and had been appointed to lead a new political outfit known as the New Patriotic Front.