Joy as Mugabe quits
After 37 years in power, Zimbabwe’s president steps down
THE STREETS of Zimbabwe’s capital erupted in dancing, singing, honking and cheers after President Robert Mugabe announced his immediate resignation after 37 years in power. The announcement came in the middle of parliamentary impeachment proceedings and after a massive demonstration in Harare over the weekend. Frustration boiled over in the once-prosperous southern African nation after the economy collapsed and Mugabe’s government cracked down on opposition.
A Zanu-PF official said recently fired vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa was expected to take power within two days.
Activists and others are reacting to the extraordinary end of Mugabe’s time in power with tears. The world’s oldest head of state had vowed to rule until death.
Zanu-PF chief whip Lovemore Matuke said Mnangagwa, who fled the country after being fired, “is not far from here”.
The official spoke immediately after the parliamentary speaker announced Mugabe’s immediate resignation during impeachment proceedings.
Matuke said they looked forward to Mugabe doing the handover of power “so that Mnangagwa moves with speed to work for the country”.
Mugabe said he was resigning immediately and voluntarily in order for a “smooth transfer of power” after 37 years in charge.
The letter was read out in a cheering, dancing parliament, which had been pursuing impeachment of the 93-year-old Mugabe, the world’s oldest head of state.
The resignation comes at the end of a week of extraordinary events that began with the military moving in last week, angered by Mugabe’s firing of his long-time deputy and the positioning of unpopular first lady Grace to succeed him.
Impeachment allegations against Mugabe included that he “allowed his wife to usurp constitutional power” and that he was “of advanced age” and too incapacitated to rule.
Responding to the news that Mugabe had resigned, Salil Shetty, secretary-general of Amnesty International, said: “After more than three decades of violent repression, the way forward for the country is to renounce the abuses of the past and transition into a new era where
transition into a new era where the rule of law is respected and those who are responsible for injustices are held to account.
“During 37 years of President Mugabe’s leadership, tens of thousands of people were tortured, forcibly disappeared or killed.
“President Mugabe condoned human rights violations, defended criminal actions of his officials and allowed a culture of impunity for grotesque crimes to thrive,” Shetty said.
“Although Zimbabwe invested heavily in social services in the early years of independence, much of this progress was wiped out by later events such as the Operation Murambatsvina forced evictions campaign of 2005, which destroyed the
‘THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS MUST COMMIT TO THE CONSTITUTION’
homes or livelihoods of 700 000 people.
“The people of Zimbabwe deserve better. The next generation of leaders must commit to upholding the constitution, living up to Zimbabwe’s international human rights obligations and treating its people with dignity and justice.”