Zimbabweans will now wait for midday on Monday to see if President Robert Mugabe will finally heed the call for him to resign as the country’s leader.
On Sunday night, the 93-year-old leader shocked the world when he delivered a state of the nation address that did not include his expected resignation.
Earlier in the day, Zanu-PF’s Special Central Committee Meeting resolved to remove him as party leader further giving me a deadline of 12pm to step down.
The Special Meeting also agreed to have Mugabe’s antagonist Emmerson Mnangagwa as the interim president until their conference in December.
A defiant Robert Mugabe ending his much anticipated state of the nation address, he shocked the world when his speech ended without a resignation or even a mention of him stepping down.
The Zimbabwean president ignored a nation’s call for him to leave his office of 37 years and his party’s earlier resolution that removed him as their leader.
Instead, he acknowledged the challenges within government and the ruling Zanu-PF.
However, there are concerns that Mugabe read the wrong speech on Sunday night.
Social media was abuzz after viewers spotted one of the generals removing some pages from the 93-year-old’s table.
This was worsened by Mugabe apologizing at the end of his address seemingly confused by the order of the pages.
Mugabe still has until midday on Monday to hand in his resignation as per the resolution of Zanu-PF’s Special Central Committee meeting.
Information Sub-Committee Chairperson Patrick Chinamasa read out the resolution.
“The party’s senior members are adamant that the elderly statesman will no longer be head of state by the end of the week.”
The party’s Chief Whip in Parliament, Lovemore Matuke, says if Mugabe does not honour the call to resign by the midday deadline then the process of impeachment will begin on Tuesday when Parliament sits.
It might still be a long road ahead for Zimbabwe and even Zanu-PF.
The man who has been at the helm of both the country and party for nearly four decades does not appear ready to let go of his power just yet.
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