Thousands march, call on Mugabe to resign
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. He is embroiled in negotiations with the military and South African intermediaries, and so far he has resisted calls for his resignation. But Saturday’s demonstration nevertheless sent a clear 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, not intervening. They were greeted and praised. Some posed for selfies.
“Zimbabwe’s army is the voice of the people,” one popular sign read.
When Maj. Gen. Sibusiso Moyo arrived to address the crowd, thousands of people grew quiet. It was clear that they were waiting for an announcement that Mugabe had agreed to step down.
“We are proud of what you have done and the solidarity you have shown,” Moyo said. “But you can’t achieve everything in one day.”
The crowd appeared briefly deflated. With each day, it has become increasingly clear that if Mugabe does step down, it will be through a tense negotiation.
The military has said that it will not push him out by force.
Still, the demonstration was a remarkable step in Zimbabwe’s move away from the 93-year-old president, the world’s oldest head of state. He was once seen as a hero of Zimbabwe’s liberation from colonialism, serenaded in 1980 by reggae icon Bob Marley, who wrote the song “Zimbabwe” about the country’s struggle for independence.
On Saturday, demonstrators tore down the sign from Robert Mugabe Road and stomped on it. At Zimbabwe Grounds, where Mugabe gave his first independence day speech in 1980, thousands of his opponents gathered.
Members of Zimbabwe’s white minority joined the protests, many of them having lost their farms in violent government-led seizures. The land was frequently redistributed to Mugabe loyalists.