After 37 years in power, President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe has voluntarily resigned his position.
President Robert Mugabe has finally resigned
Robert Mugabe has resigned as president
of Zimbabwe with immediate effect after 37 years in power, the speaker of the
country’s parliament has said.
Mugabe took the step after the
parliament commenced proceedings for his impeachment today.
A letter submitted to parliament by the
93-year-old said his decision to resign was voluntary on his part. According to
Guardian UK, wild jubilation broke out among MPs when Jacob Mudenda, the
speaker, told the parliament.
Impeachment proceedings against Mugabe
began earlier on Tuesday as the ruling party, Zanu-PF, attempted to remove him
from office.
Thousands of Zimbabweans had also turned
up outside parliament to urge on MPs, chanting, dancing and waving placards in
Africa Unity square
Shortly before legislators met, the man
expected to succeed him broke more than a week of silence to add his voice to
those calling for the ageing leader to step down
Emmerson Mnangagwa, until recently
Mugabe’s vice-president and right hand man, urged the nonagenarian leader to
“accept the will of the people”.
Mugabe has been under house arrest and
key allies of his wife, Grace, removed from power since the military took
charge last week.
The ruling Zanu-PF party, which at
the weekend voted to make Mnangagwa its leader and demote Mugabe to a
rank-and-file member, introduced the motion to impeach and the opposition
seconded it.
When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)
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