Mugabe makes first public appearance since military arrest
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has made his first public appearance since the military put him under house arrest this week, attending a graduation ceremony on the outskirts of Harare.
His appearance came as the military announced “significant progress” on talks for his departure and arrested some of his allies, and branches of the ruling party began to pass no-confidence votes in the world’s oldest head of state.
Mugabe attended the Zimbabwe Open University graduation event, to polite applause, amid an extraordinary series of negotiations with regional leaders over his departure after 37 years in power.
Zimbabwe’s military is taking pains to show respect for the 93-year-old by referring to him as the president and the commander-in-chief. But some in the ruling Zanu-pf party signalled they were getting impatient with Mugabe, with party branches passing no-confidence votes in the provinces of Mashonaland East and Manicaland.
Others among the country’s 10 provinces, including Midlands, Masvingo and Harare, were said to be following suit. Parliament is expected to resume sitting on Tuesday. It is possible that Zanu-pf could use party procedures to impeach Mugabe with the support of opposition legislators.
Mugabe has asked for “a few more days, a few more months”, the chairman of the influential war veterans’ association in Zimbabwe told reporters.
Chris Mutsvangwa, an ally of the recently fired vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa who is expected to lead any new government, said that “between now and tomorrow” they will warn Mugabe that the game is over.
“If he doesn’t leave, we will settle the scores tomorrow.”
Mr Mutsvangwa also said three cabinet ministers have been arrested in the military’s efforts to pursue Mugabe allies. Education minister Jonathan Moyo, local government minister Saviour Kasukuwere and finance minister Ignatious Chombo “are in jail” along with a number of others.
Mugabe did not make a speech at the ceremony, merely announcing its opening to applause after joining the crowd in the national anthem.
Arriving in suit and tie, he put on an academic gown and hat and walked slowly in a redcarpet procession to a podium as a marching band played.
The military statement reported by the state-run Herald newspaper and Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation said its leaders were “engagingwiththecommander-in-chief President Robert Mugabe on the way forward and will advise the nation of the outcome as soon as possible”.