BREAKING - Robert Mugabe Resigns As Zimbabwe President
Robert Mugabe has resigned as president of
Zimbabwe with immediate effect after 37 years
in power, the speaker of the country’s parliament
has said.
The announcement came during a parliamentary
hearing to impeach him and launches the nation
into a new era as uncertain as it is hopeful.
The move caps an astonishing eight-day crisis,
which started when the military took over last
week in order to block the rise to power of
Mugabe’s wife and her faction within the ruling
Zanu-PF party then developed into a popular
revolt against the ageing autocrat.
old said his decision to resign was voluntary on
his part.
Wild jubilation broke out among MPs when Jacob
Mudenda, the speaker, told the parliament and
cheers and celebrations spread through the
streets of Harare.
Impeachment proceedings against Mugabe began
earlier on Tuesday as the ruling party, Zanu-PF,
attempted to remove him from office.
outside parliament to urge on MPs, chanting,
dancing and waving placards in Africa Unity
square.
Though some still consider the former guerrilla a
hero of the liberation struggle, many more
reviled Mugabe as a dictator prepared to sacrifice
the economic wellbeing of 13 million people to
remain in power.
His fall will reverberate across a continent where
hundreds of millions still suffer the authoritarian
excesses of rapacious, ruthless rulers, are denied
justice by corrupt or incompetent officials, and
struggle to hold even elected governments to
account.
The way is now clear for Emmerson Mnangagwa,
the vice-president fired by Mugabe 13 days ago,
to take power. He was appointed interim leader
of the Zanu-PF at the meeting on Sunday.
The military has said it has no intention of
staying in power and according to the
constitution, Mnangagwa, as vice-president,
should now take the place of Mugabe as head of
state and commander-in-chief of the armed
forces.
Shortly before legislators met, Mnangagwa broke
more than a week of silence to add his voice to
those calling for the ageing leader to step down.
Until recently Mugabe’s vice-president and right
hand man, Mnangagwa, 75, is a veteran of
Zimbabwe’s liberation wars and a former spy
chief who has close relations with the
commanders who led the takeover.
Opposition leaders in Zimbabwe have called for
the formation of an inclusive transitional
government but risk being sidelined by the
powerful army and Zanu-PF.
Mugabe has been under house arrest and key
allies of his wife, Grace, removed from power
since the military took charge last week.
The ruling Zanu-PF party, which at the weekend
voted to make Mnangagwa its leader and demote
Mugabe to a rank-and-file member, introduced
the motion to impeach and the opposition
seconded it.
Mugabe had refused to resign until the
impeachment proceedings were underway.
The case for impeachment against Mugabe,
foccused heavily on his age and the
machinations of his wife for “usurping
constitutional power”, leaving a man who is still
respected as a hero of the liberation struggle
against colonial rule as much dignity as possible.
Mnangagwa had said in a written statement
released on Tuesday morning that he backed
impeachment as an “ultimate expression of the
will of the people outside an election.”
He had fled into exile earlier this month after
being ousted from his position in government
and Zanu-PF by a faction allied to Grace Mugabe.
His supporters are widely believed to be behind
the coup.
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