Mugabe and Zimbabwe army discuss his future
Pictures emerged yesterday showing Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe meeting with the army commander who put him under house arrest, as negotiations with a South African delegation and a Roman Catholic priest at the state house sought a resolution to the political turmoil and the likely end to the 93-year-old’s decades-long rule.
The state-run Zimbabwe Herald newspaper published what it said were new photos of Mr Mugabe and the commander, Gen Constantine Chiwenga, meeting, saying details were to come. One showed Mr Mugabe and Gen Chiwenga shaking hands.
The photos did not show first lady Grace Mugabe, hose rapid political rise had alarmed many in the country who feared that she could succeed her husband.
Meanwhile, seizing on the political limbo to speak out, civil society groups and opposition leaders urged Mr Mugabe to step aside after 37 years in power and for the country to move ahead to free and fair elections.
The president has been in military custody, reportedly with his wife, since the army seized power overnight on Tuesday.
There was no sign yesterday of former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa, whose firing last week angered supporters in the military amid widespread concern that the unpopular Mrs Mugabe would take his place.
The military remained in the streets of the capital, Harare. Southern African regional officials were meeting in neighbouring Botswana to discuss the crisis.
A joint statement by more
than 100 civil society groups urged Mr Mugabe, the world’s oldest head of state, to peacefully step aside and asked the military to respect the constitution. A joint statement by churches also appealed for calm.
One analyst said he believed the negotiations “have pretty much reached an end point” to get Mr Mugabe to step aside and that it was a “matter of hours or days”.
Knox Chitiyo, associate fellow with the Africa programme at Chatham House, said that speculation is high that the military wants a dignified exit for Mr Mugabe, who has ruled since independence from white minority rule in 1980 and is still seen by some in Africa as a liberation hero.
Mr Chitiyo said he did not know where the ailing Mr Mugabe would go, but that the destination would “probably [be] driven by his health”. Mr Mugabe routinely seeks medical treatment in Singapore.
Opposition leaders said they had not been contacted as part of the negotiations with Mr Mugabe.
Morgan Tsvangirai, who shared power with Mr Mugabe between 2009 and 2013, said the president must resign, and that his party would participate in talks on a transitional mechanism if approached.
A vice president who was fired in 2014, Joice Mujuru, called for “free, fair and credible elections” after a transition arrangement that draws from a range of communities.
Evan Mawarire, the pastor whose #ThisFlag social media campaign last year led to the largest anti-government protests in a decade, asked: “Should we just sit and wait or shall we at least be part of this transition process?”
Across the country yesterday, Zimbabweans long frustrated by crackdowns on dissent and a collapsing economy were enjoying freedoms they had not had in years. For once, they were not contending with bribe-seeking police officers who mounted roadblocks every few kilometres.
Soldiers manning the few checkpoints leading into downtown Harare greeted motorists with a smile, searching cars without hostilities and wishing motorists a safe journey. Street hawkers who endured police raids after Mr Mugabe ordered their removal were working without hassle. Meanwhile, trade unions urged workers to go about their business.
“The situation is quite OK because they are now returning to their jobs,” said resident Clinton Mandioper. Human rights groups urged respect for rights as the drama played out.
Amid questions about the whereabouts of Mrs Mugabe, one Namibian newspaper, New
Era, reported that the country’s foreign minister had denied that she had fled there.
The US embassy advised citizens in Zimbabwe to “limit unnecessary movements” as political uncertainty continued. The British government also urged its citizens to avoid large gatherings and any demonstrations.
Speculation was that the military wants a dignified exit for Mugabe, who is still seen as a liberation hero by some in Africa