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| robert mugabe |
As Zimbabwe's economy has gone from bad to worse to disastrous in recent years,robert mugabe political and physical demise has been predicted many times but he has always confounded his many critics - until now.
However, it may be that by siding with his wife in the battle to succeed him, he has gone too far, and lost the support of the military leaders, who have kept him in power until now.
At the age of 93, his health has visibly deteriorated over the past year or so, even though he was still officially going to seek re-election next year.
Before the 2008 elections, he said: "If you lose an election and are rejected by the people, it is time to leave politics."
But after coming second to Morgan Tsvangirai, Mr mugabe displayed more characteristic defiance, swearing that "only God" could remove him from office.
And just to be sure, violence was unleashed to preserve his grip on power.
In order to protect his supporters, Mr Tsvangirai pulled out of the second round and although Mr mugabe was forced to share power with his long-time rival for four years, he remains president of the country he has governed since 1980.
- 924: Born
- Trained as a teacher
- 1964: Imprisoned by Rhodesian government
- 1980: Wins post-independence elections
- 1996: Marries Grace Marufu
- 2000: Loses referendum, pro-mugabe militias invade white-owned farms and attack opposition supporters
- 2008: Comes second in first round of elections to Tsvangirai who pulls out of run-off amid attacks on his supporters
- 2009: Amid economic collapse, swears in Tsvangirai as prime minister
- 2016: Bond notes introduced as cash shortage worsens
- 2017: Sacks long-time ally Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa
the military is calling the shots
Down the road from a fast-food joint serving peri-peri burgers and fries, three soldiers perch themselves on top of an armored personnel carrier to watch traffic.
The scene is what passes for normal these days in Harare.
The police are nowhere to be found in Zimbabwe capital. Usually they are everywhere, in their blue and white uniforms, often trying to fleece motorists for this or that.
They've been ordered to stay home.
Not even members of the Presidential Guard, who once said they would die for President Robert mugabe are calling the shots. In their yellow berets, they are confined to peering over the wall of their headquarters near the State House.
Right outside the gate: armored personnel carriers, rocket launchers, what appears to be a tank and soldiers inside army trucks.
The message is clear. While the 93-year-old mugabe is President on paper -- the army is in charge.
"The military says that it is not a coup. It is not a military takeover," said Morgan Tsvangirai, a longtime opposition leader and former Prime Minister. "But what I can say is that it is unconstitutional. Whatever you want to describe it as, it is unconstitutional."
Suddenly mugabe appears
A senior opposition leader told CNN that negotiations are ongoing to form some kind of transition government with sacked Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
So where is the President? After ruling this country for nearly 40 years with an iron fist, he has been out of sight, but on everyone's mind.
There he is, wearing a blazer and slacks, seemingly having a friendly chat with Gen. Constantine Chiwenga, the leader of the armed forces who sidelined him. Or in a sitting room with Cabinet members from South Africa, enveloped in a cream armchair.
The propaganda message from state media is clear -- a calm transition of power is underway. The military and Mnangagwa know that regional powers could be forced to step in if what's happening were called a coup.
There's no sign of first lady Grace mugabe To most Zimbabwe watchers her situation is perhaps the most precarious. She became a front-runner to succeed her husband when Mnangagwa went into hiding -- but Mnangagwa's dismissal was a high-risk, high-reward move.
Turns out, it was more high risk.
'What we need is bread to eat'
On the streets and on social media, a sense of optimism is visible among some Zimbabweans. mugabe has run this country for longer than most of them have been alive.
But the President has presided over a near-collapse of the economy and overseen brutal suppression of critics during his rule.
At a taxi stand near downtown, commuters jump in and out of minibuses in the rain. Many don't want to speculate about mugabe fate.
"We don't know what is happening. All we know is that the soldiers are in control of everything," a fare collector said.
One driver was more definitive: "Robert mugabe must leave. We need a new president. We need bread and butter.
AU welcomes Mugabe resignation
The African Union (AU) on Wednesday welcomed the resignation of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe.
Moussa Mahamat, Chairperson of the AU Commission in a statement said Tuesday’s decision will go down in history as an act of statesmanship that can only bolster Mugabe’s political legacy.
Mugabe resigned on Tuesday after pressure from the military and Zimbabweans, ending his 37-year grip on power.
His resignation was greeted with wild scenes of celebration by Zimbabweans who now look forward to a new political dispensation in the country.
President Mugabe will be remembered as a fearless pan-Africanist liberation fighter, and the father of the independent Zimbabwean nation, AU’s statement said.
Mahamat noted that AU recognises that the Zimbabwean people have expressed their will that there should be a peaceful transfer of power in a manner that secures the democratic future of their country.
He said he is confident that the people, together with all their leaders, will remain steadfast in their commitment to fulfill their legitimate aspirations.
He added that the AU looks forward to Zimbabwe continuing to play a leading role in the affairs of the African continent, as a democratic and prosperous state meeting the aspirations of its people.
He said the Southern African country has AU’s full support in the period ahead.
NAN reports that UN called for calm and restraint in Zimbabwe following the resignation of Mugabe.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and General Assembly President Miroslav Lajcak called for calm and restraint in the southern African country after a week of political tumult.
Zimbabwe’s Parliament Speaker Jacob Mudenda on Tuesday announced the resignation of Mugabe, one day after the 93-year-old ignored a deadline set by his own party to step down.
“The (UN) secretary-general encourages all Zimbabweans to maintain calm and restraint,” UN spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters in New York.
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