New hope for Zimbabwe
Robert Mugabe finally resigned as president of Zimbabwe on Tuesday after 37 years in power, heralding a new era for a country which his as uncertain as it is hopeful.
The man who ruled for decades with an autocrat's grip finally caved to popular and political pressure hours after parliament launched proceedings to impeach him.
He refused to leave office during an eight-day crisis that began when the military took over last week. He was unable or unwilling to recognise that after so many years, he had lost control of both his party and the country.
So when the Speaker Jacob Mudenda announced that Mugabe had submitted his resignation in a letter, there was wild jubilation in parliament, followed within minutes by large crowds on the streets of Harare and other major cities.
The military generals moved against Mugabe due to factional struggles within the ruling Zanu-PF party, and with the support of his presumed successor Emmerson Mnangagwa, a party stalwart and liberation war veteran known as “the Crocodile”.
Mnangagwa's axing as vice-president at the start of the month triggered the takeover and the subsequent unravelling of Mugabe's control. The party that had bent to Mugabe's every will for so many years was quick to turn on the 93-year-old, first evicting him from his position as party chief and then leading the impeachment drive.
However, what began as a palace coup developed into a popular revolt. Mugabe's downfall unleashed extraordinary hopes as hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans poured onto the streets at the weekend to call on him to leave.
He has ruled as an autocrat, prepared to sacrifice the economic wellbeing of 16 million people in order to remain in power.
The deal Mugabe has struck to leave power might tempt other rulers to leave before they are pushed, if he is able to protect his family and some of the assets he is thought to have accumulated while in power.
Zimbabweans know that the change was driven as much by competition for power within Zanu-PF as by popular anger at a dictatorial and corrupt regime. For one evening, however, they wanted to focus on celebrating the change they had almost given up hoping would come, the end of a rule which has defined generations.
The man who ruled for decades with an autocrat's grip finally caved to popular and political pressure hours after parliament launched proceedings to impeach him.
He refused to leave office during an eight-day crisis that began when the military took over last week. He was unable or unwilling to recognise that after so many years, he had lost control of both his party and the country.
So when the Speaker Jacob Mudenda announced that Mugabe had submitted his resignation in a letter, there was wild jubilation in parliament, followed within minutes by large crowds on the streets of Harare and other major cities.
The military generals moved against Mugabe due to factional struggles within the ruling Zanu-PF party, and with the support of his presumed successor Emmerson Mnangagwa, a party stalwart and liberation war veteran known as “the Crocodile”.
Mnangagwa's axing as vice-president at the start of the month triggered the takeover and the subsequent unravelling of Mugabe's control. The party that had bent to Mugabe's every will for so many years was quick to turn on the 93-year-old, first evicting him from his position as party chief and then leading the impeachment drive.
However, what began as a palace coup developed into a popular revolt. Mugabe's downfall unleashed extraordinary hopes as hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans poured onto the streets at the weekend to call on him to leave.
He has ruled as an autocrat, prepared to sacrifice the economic wellbeing of 16 million people in order to remain in power.
The deal Mugabe has struck to leave power might tempt other rulers to leave before they are pushed, if he is able to protect his family and some of the assets he is thought to have accumulated while in power.
Zimbabweans know that the change was driven as much by competition for power within Zanu-PF as by popular anger at a dictatorial and corrupt regime. For one evening, however, they wanted to focus on celebrating the change they had almost given up hoping would come, the end of a rule which has defined generations.
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Namibian Sun
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