Zimbabweans are rejoicing in the streets after President Robert Mugabe announced his resignation, marking the end of his 37 years of rule.
A letter announcing the 93-year-old’s resignation was read out by the Parliament’s Speaker in which the former President said the decision was voluntary. The news halted impeachment proceedings which had started against Mr Mugabe.
These had been brought after the ruling party, ZANU-PF, dismissed Mr Mugabe – who has been held under house arrest by the military since last week – from its leadership position on Sunday and gave him a deadline to resign. ZANU-PF has reportedly said former Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa will succeed Mr Mugabe. It was Mr Mnangagwa’s sacking last month which sparked the political crisis in the southern African nation.
Mr Mugabe came to power in 1980 in post-independence elections and up until his resignation was the world’s oldest head of state.
As thousands were celebrating the news in the capital of Harare on Tuesday night, human rights activist Linda Masarira told the BBC that she was “the happiest person under the sun right now, because I always believed that Mugabe was going to step down in my lifetime and it has happened”.
“And now going forward it’s time for the opposition to reorganise and ensure that we will have a government that cares for the people. And everyone has to be included.”
Last week, the heads of various Christian denominations in Zimbabwe issued a statement in which they called for prayer, peace, respect for human dignity, a transitional government of national unity and a nation dialogue.
“We are the people of God who are being called to champion the spirit of reconciliation,” they said in the statement which was delivered on video by Rev Dr Kenneth Mtata, general secretary of the Zimbabwe Council of Churches.
