Mnangagwa to be sworn in Friday as Zimbabwe President

Zimbabwe ’ s ousted vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa will be sworn in as successor to Robert Mugabe at a ceremony on Friday, state media said Wednesday , a day after the 93 - year - old ’ s shock
resignation .

“ The former vice president , who had been out of the country after he was sacked from both party and government , will … replace comrade Robert Mugabe who resigned, ” the state - run ZBC news site said on
Wednesday .

Mnangagwa was to return to the country Wednesday to take power after Mugabe ’ s resignation brought a sudden end to 37 years of authoritarian rule .

Ahead of his arrival , state media said he would be sworn in as President at a ceremony on Friday.

Mugabe ’ s iron grip ended in a shock announcement to parliament where MPs had convened to impeach the 93 -
year - old who dominated every aspect of Zimbabwean public life for decades .

On the streets , the news that his long and often brutal leadership was over sparked wild celebrations which lasted late into the night , with crowds dancing and cheering ecstatically amid a cacophony of car horns.
“ Comrade Mnangagwa is coming back today , ” senior aide Larry Mavhima , told AFP, saying he was expected to brief the media after landing at a military airport
outside Harare .

Mnangagwa, 75 , was sacked by the president on November 6 in a move that pushed infuriated army chiefs to intervene , triggering a series of events which
led to Mugabe ’ s ouster .

A former key Mugabe ally, Mnangagwa fled the country after his dismissal , saying he would not return without guarantees of his safety .

His sacking was the result of an increasingly bitter succession battle with Mugabe ’ s wife Grace , who had
been pushing to take over from the ageing leader .

“ My decision to resign is voluntary , ” Mugabe wrote in his resignation letter , expressing his “ desire to ensure a
smooth , peaceful and non - violent transfer of power” .

– Party hardliner –
In a highly symbolic scene shortly after his resignation ,a man took down a portrait of Mugabe from a wall inside the building where MPs had assembled for the
extraordinary session to impeach the defiant president .

Another person replaced it with an image of
Mnangagwa. The ruling ZANU - PF party said Mnangagwa could swiftly be named interim president as the country charts a way through the turbulence .

“ He will be the one who will be sworn in to be (interim ) president for 90 days , ” said party spokesman Simon Khaya Moyo .

Mnangagwa is a long - time party loyalist who has close ties with the military , with critics describing him as a ruthless hardliner responsible for years of state -
sponsored violence .

Mugabe ’ s resignation capped a week in which the military seized control and tens of thousands of Zimbabweans took to the streets in an unprecedented show of dissent against Mugabe .

– ‘ He deserves to rest ’ –
“ I am so happy that Mugabe is gone , 37 years under dictatorship is not a joke . I am hoping for a new Zimbabwe ruled by the people, ” Tinashe Chakanetsa, 18 ,
told AFP.

As the news began to sink in late Tuesday , crowds gathered brandishing national flags with many among them praising army chief General Constantino Chiwenga who led the military ’ s power- grab.

Mugabe had ruled Zimbabwe almost unopposed since independence in 1980 — but his efforts to position his 52 - year - old wife Grace as his successor prompted
intervention from the military that underpinned his regime.

The monolithic grip of Mugabe — who was the world ’ s oldest head of state — was shattered last week when armoured military vehicles took to the streets , blockaded parliament and soldiers placed him under house arrest .

Mugabe ’ s fate , and that of his wife, remain unknown, but ZANU - PF has said he deserved to be treated with respect after leading the country for nearly four
decades .

“ He deserves to rest and I believe every Zimbabwean agrees with this , ” said Moyo .
“ But I think he had overstayed the hospitality of the people of Zimbabwe . ”
– A new path –

Last week’ s military takeover had all the hallmarks of a coup , but the generals stopped short of forcing Mugabe
out .

As the crisis grew , the ZANU - PF party , an instrument of Mugabe ’ s brutal reign , removed him as party leader and
began parliamentary proceedings to have him impeached .

“ When he saw the turnout ( of lawmakers ) , he probably realised he’ d better jump before he was pushed, ” said Derek Matyszak , an analyst at the Pretoria- based
Institute for Security Studies .

British Prime Minister Theresa May said the resignation gave Zimbabwe “ an opportunity to forge a new path free of the oppression that characterised (Mugabe ’ s )
rule ” .

And the European Union’ s diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini called for a solution that “ respects the aspirations of the people of Zimbabwe for a more prosperous and democratic future” .

The US State Department called it “ a historic moment for the people of Zimbabwe … to put an end to Zimbabwe ’ s
isolation ” saying the country’ s future should be decided by the people .

Most Zimbabweans have only known life under Mugabe , whose time in power was defined by violent suppression , economic collapse and international isolation .






























Guardian