Mugabes assured of safety in Zim
‘No prosecution, no exile’ deal for ousted president
ZIMBABWE’S former president Robert Mugabe was granted immunity from prosecution and assured that his safety would be protected in his home country as part of a deal that led to his resignation, sources close to the negotiations said yesterday.
Mugabe, who had led Zimbabwe from independence in 1980, stepped down on Tuesday after the army seized power and the ruling party turned against him.
Emmerson Mnangagwa, the former vicepresident sacked by Mugabe earlier this month, will be sworn in as president today.
A government source said Mugabe, 93, told negotiators he wanted to die in Zimbabwe and had no plans to live in exile.
“It was very emotional for him and he was forceful about it,” the source, who is not authorised to speak on the details of the negotiated settlement, said.
“For him it was very important that he be guaranteed security to stay in the country, although that will not stop him from travelling abroad when he wants to or has to,” the source said.
Mugabe resigned as parliament began a process to impeach him, sparking wild celebrations in the streets.
His downfall was triggered by a succession battle that pitted Mnangagwa against Mugabe’s much younger wife, Grace.
“The outgoing president is obviously aware of the public hostility to his wife, the anger in some circles about the manner in which she conducted herself and approached Zanu-PF party politics,” a second source said.
“In that regard, it became necessary to also assure him that his whole family, including the wife, would be safe and secure.”
Mugabe had clung on to power for a week after the military intervened. He angered many Zimbabweans when he did not resign in a televised address on Sunday as many had anticipated.
The government source said the tipping point for him had been the realisation that he would be impeached and ousted in an undignified way.
“When the process started, he then realised he had lost the party,” the source said.
Mugabe will receive a retirement package that includes a pension, housing, holiday and transport allowance, health insurance, limited air travel and security.
The ageing former president was “ragged and drained” by events of the past week and might travel to Singapore for medical checks in the coming weeks, the source said.
Mugabe has maintained that he leads a frugal life and that he does not possess any wealth or properties outside Zimbabwe.
But last month a legal quarrel between Grace and a Belgian-based businessman over a $1.3-million (R18-million) diamond ring lifted a veil on the wealthy lifestyle of Mugabe and his wife, nicknamed “Gucci Grace” for her reputed shopping sprees.
In Zimbabwe, Mugabe runs a dairy business and the family has several farms, while local and foreign media have reported that Grace has bought properties and luxury cars in South Africa. Addressing a cheering crowd in Harare on Wednesday night, new leader Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe was entering a new stage of democracy.
Mnangagwa had returned to the country earlier in the day, having fled for his safety when Mugabe sacked him.
“The people have spoken. The voice of the people is the voice of God,” Mnangagwa told thousands of supporters outside Zanu-PF party’s offices in the capital.
The army appears to have engineered a trouble-free path to power for Mnangagwa, who was for decades a faithful lieutenant of Mugabe and member of his elite.
Restoring the country’s fortunes and international standing will be a challenge.
Human rights abuses and flawed elections prompted many Western countries to impose sanctions in the early 2000s that further hurt the economy, even with Chinese investment to soften the blow.
Staging clean elections next year will be key to winning fresh funds. – Reuters