Zimbabweans, now able to protest, say Mugabe must go
HARARE, Zimbabwe — For the first time in decades, in a country where protests have often been violently dispersed, thousands of Zimbabweans marched through the streets of the capital demanding the resignation of their president, a swelling of public opposition that followed a dramatic military takeover earlier this week.
Thirty-seven years after he came to power, Robert Mugabe’s rule is now under threat from multiple fronts.
First, on Tuesday, there was the late-night military operation that placed him under house arrest. Then, on Friday, his own party voted for him to be recalled. And Saturday, a diverse mix of opposition groups marched through the city in what appeared to be the country’s largest-ever demonstration, a buoyant affair that often felt more like a citywide party.
Mugabe’s fate remains unclear. Still clinging to his now-powerless post, Mugabe is scheduled Sunday to discuss his expected exit with the military command that put him under house arrest. But Saturday’s demonstration sent a signal that opposition to his rule is massive and diverse.
The rally had the air of collective catharsis. For decades, Mugabe had targeted a broad array of his own citizens: white farmers whose land was seized, political activists who were arrested or simply vanished, even Harare’s street vendors, who Mugabe has tried to evict.
Members of those groups, and many others, converged on the country’s State House, waving flags and signs that read, “Mugabe must go.”
“If we had tried this three weeks ago, hundreds of people would have been dead in the street,” Terry Angelos said.
It was the first time in decades that Zimbabweans had been able to protest Mugabe without fear of arrest.
“It’s like our second independence day,” Martin Matanisa said. “For a while it’s just been oppression. This is the first time we’ve been able to stand here and protest.”
Across the city, soldiers in armed personnel carriers observed the demonstrations without intervening. They were greeted and praised. Some posed for selfies.
“The common enemy is Robert Mugabe. That’s for starters,” said 37-year-old Talent Mudzamiri, an opposition supporter who was born soon after Zimbabwe’s independence.
He had a warning for whoever takes over Zimbabwe: “If the next leader does the same, we are going to come out again.”
Many Zimbabweans believe the most likely candidate will be Emmerson Mnangagwa, a former vice president with close military ties whose dismissal by Mugabe triggered the intervention of the armed forces, which sent troops and tanks into the streets in recent days, effectively taking over the country.
The increasing presidential ambitions of Mugabe’s wife, Grace, a polarizing figure who denounced Mnangagwa amid a factional battle within the ruling ZANU-PF party, alarmed those who feared a dynastic succession.