Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe has resigned after 37 years of autocratic rule, finally succumbing to the pressure of a military takeover and the humiliation of impeachment.
The announcement came minutes into a joint session of the Zimbabwean Parliament in Harare, convened to prise the 93-year-old from power.
As the Speaker read out a letter from Mugabe, lawmakers broke out in thunderous applause and cheers.
In the streets outside, crowds erupted in rapturous celebrations, dancing and cheering in joy, some raising their fists and waving Zimbabwean flags.
“We think that this is the work of God,” one young man told CNN in Harare. “We were in crisis for a long time, and this is a new day for Zimbabweans.”
In his letter, Mugabe insisted that his resignation was voluntary. “I have resigned to allow smooth transfer of power,” he wrote. “Kindly give public notice of my decision as soon as possible.”
Mugabe’s whereabouts: The President’s resignation came in a short letter read out during a parliamentary session. He has not been seen since Sunday.
No sign of successor: It was not immediately clear who would take over. The former Vice President, whose sacking by Mugabe triggered the crisis, earlier said he would not return from abroad until his safety could be guaranteed.
International reaction: Theresa May, the Prime Minister of Britain, from which Zimbabwe gained independence in 1980, said Mugabe’s resignation provided the country “with an opportunity to forge a new path free of the oppression that characterized his rule.”
What happened
Mugabe’s decision was an acknowledgment of the inevitable. In reality, he lost his grip on power six days ago when the country’s top generals launched what amounted to a military coup, placing the veteran leader under house arrest.
After nearly four decades of unimpeded rule, Mugabe’s political downfall unfolded in just two weeks.
The crisis began on November 6 when Mugabe fired his Vice President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, in an apparent attempt to clear a path for his wife, Grace, to succeed him.
Army generals and other senior elements in Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party, suspicious of the 52-year-old First Lady’s lavish lifestyle and political ambitions, were horrified by the possibility she could take over.
On Tuesday, tanks were seen outside Harare and in the early hours of Wednesday morning, an army spokesman appeared on state TV to declare that a military operation was underway. By dawn it was clear that Mugabe was under house arrest, and his grip on power was over.
The whereabouts of the former President and his wife were unknown on Tuesday. Grace Mugabe has not been seen since the day of the military takeover, and her husband’s last appearance was during a television statement on Sunday night.
Source : CNN
