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Robert Mugabe Is Ousted From His Ruling Party in Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe Is Ousted From His Ruling Party in Zimbabwe
(35 minutes later)
After hours of closed-door deliberations, Zimbabwe’s governing party on Sunday expelled its leader, President Robert Mugabe, 93, as he remained locked in talks at the State House with the country’s army generals to negotiate his departure. After hours of closed-door deliberations, Zimbabwe’s governing party on Sunday expelled its leader, President Robert Mugabe, 93, as he remained locked in negotiations at the State House with the country’s army generals about his departure.
The stunning rebuke by his own governing party, ZANU-PF, came a day after thousands of Zimbabweans took to the streets to celebrate his continuing fall from power after a military takeover. The stunning rebuke by Mr. Mugabe’s party, ZANU-PF, after emergency talks at its headquarters in the capital, Harare, came a day after thousands of Zimbabweans took to the streets to celebrate his continuing fall from power after a military takeover.
The governing ZANU-PF party, which held emergency talks at its headquarters in the capital, Harare, to consider the fate of the president who had ruled for 37 years, appointed the previously fired vice president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, as Mr. Mugabe’s successor. The central committee also appointed the previously fired vice president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, as Mr. Mugabe’s successor to lead the party.
Under the Constitution, Mr. Mugabe remains president, even if in name only. But if he does not resign by noon Monday, the committee members decided, he would face impeachment by Parliament. Under the Constitution, Mr. Mugabe remains president, even if in name only. But if he did not resign by noon Monday, the party members decided, he would face impeachment by Parliament.
Cheers and dancing broke out in the building after the vote, according to video shared on social media. Cheers and dancing broke out in the building after the vote to exclude the president who had ruled Zimbabwe for 37 years.
Before the committee’s decision, Chris Mutsvangwa, a war veteran who has led the campaign to oust Mr. Mugabe, said as he went into the meeting, “We are going all the way,” according to Reuters. “There is a case at the end!” a group of youths chanted after storming an open space outside the ZANU-PF headquarters. They sang phrases that, loosely translated, meant “We lead on while they bark.”
Announcing the expulsion of Mr. Mugabe, Patrick Chinamasa, the party’s secretary for legal affairs, said President Robert Mugabe “hereby is recalled as first secretary and president of the ZANU-PF party. He is therefore asked to resign forthwith.
“In the event that the resignation would not have been tendered by midday 20th of November, 2017, the ZANU-PF chief whip was ordered to issue proceedings for the removal of the president in terms of Section 97 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Number 20.”
Before the committee’s decision, Chris Mutsvangwa, a war veteran who has led the campaign to oust Mr. Mugabe as party leader, said as he went into the meeting, “We are going all the way,” according to Reuters.
He said that Mr. Mugabe should just resign and leave the country: “He’s trying to bargain for a dignified exit but he should just smell the coffee.”He said that Mr. Mugabe should just resign and leave the country: “He’s trying to bargain for a dignified exit but he should just smell the coffee.”
The central committee also expelled the president’s wife, Grace Mugabe, as head of the ZANU-PF Women’s League. Mrs. Mugabe, widely viewed as his likely successor, has not been seen in public since Wednesday.The central committee also expelled the president’s wife, Grace Mugabe, as head of the ZANU-PF Women’s League. Mrs. Mugabe, widely viewed as his likely successor, has not been seen in public since Wednesday.
On Sunday, she was barred from the party for life, along with several other government officials — including Jonathan Moyo, the minister of higher and tertiary education. Mrs. Mugabe, a former typist who had amassed wealth and power in the governing party, was barred for life from the party. So were Jonathan Moyo, Zimbabwe’s minister of higher and tertiary education; and Saviour Kasukuwere, the minister of local government, along with several others.
The downfall of the 93-year-old autocratic ruler began with a military takeover on Wednesday. Once respected as a liberation icon who went into exile after fighting colonial rule, Mr. Mugabe became isolated from fellow party officials. The downfall of the autocratic ruler began with a military takeover on Wednesday. Once respected as a liberation icon who went into exile after fighting colonial rule, Mr. Mugabe became isolated from fellow party officials. Zimbabwe’s only leader since the country gained independence from Britain in 1980, he previously had faced little opposition from the party rank and file.
Other veterans of the fight for independence from white-minority rule joined the march on Saturday as Zimbabweans poured into the streets and danced, sang and shouted with joy at the prospect of Mr. Mugabe’s rule ending. But the military placed him under house arrest on Wednesday, saying it wanted to target the criminals around Mr. Mugabe who had pillaged the country’s economy.
After voting to fire Mr. Mugabe as party leader, the party committee took up the matter of impeachment. And veterans of the fight for independence from white-minority rule joined the march on Saturday as Zimbabweans poured into the streets and danced, sang and shouted with joy at the prospect of Mr. Mugabe’s rule ending.
Innocent Gonese, the parliamentary chief whip from the Movement for Democratic Change — Tsvangirai party, told The A.P. that when Parliament resumed this week, the chamber would “definitely” put in motion a process to impeach Mr. Mugabe. Mr. Mugabe was meeting on Sunday for a second round of talks with the very army commander, Constantino Chiwenga, who had placed him under house arrest. Mr. Mugabe, who has resisted stepping down, was seeking to negotiate a dignified departure, the Zimbabwe state-run broadcaster said.
Mr. Mugabe was also meeting on Sunday for a second round of talks with the army commander Constantino Chiwenga, who had placed the president under house arrest. The military, seeking to deflect claims of a coup, said that the action was aimed at rounding up ZANU-PF officials implicated in economic crimes that have ravaged the economy of the southern African nation. A Catholic priest, Fidelis Mukonori, was mediating. Others on the negotiating team include the deputy director-general for the Central Intelligence Organization, Aaron Nhepera, and the Mugabe spokesman George Charamba.
Mr. Mugabe, who has resisted stepping down, was seeking to negotiate a dignified departure, the Zimbabwe state-run broadcaster said. Local news media reporter later on Sunday that a major announcement was pending from the State House, and Zimbabweans held their breath.
A Catholic priest, Fidelis Mukonori, was mediating. Others on the negotiating team include the acting intelligence director, Aaron Nhepera, and the Mugabe spokesman George Charamba.
The youth league of Zimbabwe’s ruling party said Mr. Mugabe should resign and take a rest as an “elder statesman,” while his wife should be expelled from the party “forever,” The Associated Press reported.
The league leader, Yeukai Simbanegavi, praised the military on Sunday for moving against what she described as a group of “criminals” led by Mrs. Mugabe, The A.P. said.
“It is unfortunate that the president allowed her to usurp executive authority from him, thereby destroying both the party and the government,” she said.
A majority of the party’s leaders had recommended expelling Mr. Mugabe — a harsh rebuke of the man who had controlled the organization with an iron grip since the country gained independence in 1980.A majority of the party’s leaders had recommended expelling Mr. Mugabe — a harsh rebuke of the man who had controlled the organization with an iron grip since the country gained independence in 1980.
In a resolution, party leaders said Mr. Mugabe should be removed for taking the advice of “counterrevolutionaries and agents of neo-imperialism”; for mistreating his vice president, Mr. Mnangagwa, whom Mr. Mugabe abruptly dismissed; and for encouraging “factionalism.”In a resolution, party leaders said Mr. Mugabe should be removed for taking the advice of “counterrevolutionaries and agents of neo-imperialism”; for mistreating his vice president, Mr. Mnangagwa, whom Mr. Mugabe abruptly dismissed; and for encouraging “factionalism.”
It urged the “immediate and unconditional reinstatement” of Mr. Mnangagwa, at least until the national elections that are scheduled for next year. It urged the “immediate and unconditional reinstatement” of Mr. Mnangagwa, at least until the national elections scheduled for next year.
On Sunday, the leaders put force behind their recommendations, ousting Mr. Mugabe and setting up the vice president to succeed him. On Sunday, the leaders put force behind their recommendations. ZANU-PF’s central committee did not spare Mr. Mugabe’s second deputy president, Phelekezela Mphoko, who was also fired after serving as a vice president for three years.
The committee also overturned the firing of Mr. Mnangagwa, who was immediately reinstated to his position and elevated to fill the vacancy left after the dismissal of Mr. Mugabe as party leader. He was also nominated as the party’s sole presidential candidate for the 2018 elections, a position the central committee said would be confirmed by the party’s congress in December.
Mr. Mugabe had fired Mr. Mnangagwa in a move that positioned Mr. Mugabe’s wife to succeed him as president. But the firing may have been an overreach by the Mugabes, as it singled out an erstwhile ally with liberation-war credentials and strong support from the military.Mr. Mugabe had fired Mr. Mnangagwa in a move that positioned Mr. Mugabe’s wife to succeed him as president. But the firing may have been an overreach by the Mugabes, as it singled out an erstwhile ally with liberation-war credentials and strong support from the military.
But the fired vice president also has critics, who accuse him of being politically ruthless and of plotting to form parallel institutions within the governing party. Mr. Mnangagwa is unpopular in parts of the country: He lost his parliamentary seat at least twice, once after he was accused of firebombing his opponent’s house, according to an editor of The Zimbabwean newspaper.But the fired vice president also has critics, who accuse him of being politically ruthless and of plotting to form parallel institutions within the governing party. Mr. Mnangagwa is unpopular in parts of the country: He lost his parliamentary seat at least twice, once after he was accused of firebombing his opponent’s house, according to an editor of The Zimbabwean newspaper.
The central committee also agreed that the country’s war veterans be “placed in strategic positions in the party and government as long as they have the right qualifications.”
The political crisis will be on the agenda for a summit meeting in Angola on Tuesday of four countries in the southern African regional bloc: South Africa, which sent envoys to negotiate with Mr. Mugabe on a departure; and Angola, Tanzania and Zambia.The political crisis will be on the agenda for a summit meeting in Angola on Tuesday of four countries in the southern African regional bloc: South Africa, which sent envoys to negotiate with Mr. Mugabe on a departure; and Angola, Tanzania and Zambia.