This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen
on .
It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
Robert Mugabe set to resign as president of Zimbabwe – live
Robert Mugabe makes televised address to Zimbabwe – live
(35 minutes later)
Zimbabwe state broadcaster is ZBC is now broadcasting live as Mugabe prepares to make his statement.
Chris Mutsvangwa, who has been leading a campaign to oust Mugabe, told Reuters in a text message moments after the speech that people would take to the streets of Harare on Wednesday.
The Guardian’s Africa correspondent Jason Burke is tweeting from Harare as the nation is poised for historic address.
Mugabe was constantly shuffling papers during his rambling speech.
if ZBC sold advertising for the mid-speech break they could clear Zimbabwe’s national debt. #biggestaudienceever #Mugabespeech
No resignation but he’s ‘sorry’ he messed up the pages ‘It was a long speech’ pic.twitter.com/UnYpX7vfWC
Zimbabwe’s president Robert Mugabe is resigning after nearly four decades in power, according to a source close to the negotiations.
Mugabe has stunned the nation by refusing to resign and has said he will preside over party Congress in a few weeks, ignoring the fact he is no longer its leader.
The ruling Zanu-PF party sacked him as its leader after 37 years in power.
Zimbabwe war veterans leader Mutsvangwa has told Reuters that plans for Mugabe’s impeachment will proceed.
The party said if he did not resign as the country’s president by noon on Monday it would start impeachment proceedings.
He was flanked by generals as he gave his speech - he tripped over his words and towards the end said: “oh that’s a long speech”. Commentators are questioning whether he perhaps in fact said “oh that’s the wrong speech”.
Earlier today Zimbabwe’s Herald newspaper showed pictures of the 93-year-old meeting top generals at his State House offices.
He wants to stay in charge despite no longer being the leader of the ruling party.
Mugabe has been under house arrest since the military moved in on Tuesday, angered by his firing of his longtime deputy and the positioning of unpopular first lady Grace Mugabe to succeed him.
Mugabe has now finished speaking... there was no hint of a resignation in his address.
The president tried to buy time in negotiations with the military on a dignified exit but quickly found himself isolated.
He says “we cannot be guided by bitterness”
Zanu-PF is to appoint the former vice-president fired by Mugabe – Emmerson Mnangagwa – as its new leader.
Mugabe says he believes the concerns were raised in the “spirit of honesty and out of deep and patriotic concern for the stability of our nation and welfare of our people”.
Mugabe’s controversial second wife Grace, once tipped as his successor, has been expelled from the party.
President Mugabe says “the government remains committed to improving this social and material conditions of the people”.
Zimbabwe’s state broadcaster ZBC is reporting that a statement from Mugabe will air shortly ...
He has acknowledged that the country’s economy is going through a “difficult patch”.
Sky News is reporting that Mugabe’s resignation statement is pre-recorded and has already been prepared.
He says “the pillars of state remained functional” amid the crisis, in which Zimbabweans rallied by the tens of thousands against him and ruling party leaders told him to step aside or face impeachment.
Chris Mutsvangwa, head of Zimbabwe’s liberation war veterans, earlier on Sunday vowed to “bring back the crowd” if Robert Mugabe did not step aside, but said he was concerned that the military would end up opening fire to protect Mugabe from protesters.
Mugabe is poised to step down after 37 years in power making him the world’s oldest head of state.
“We would expect that Mugabe would not have the prospect of the military shooting at people, trying to defend him,” Mutsvangwa said. “The choice is his.”
He says that Zimbabwe needs to “return to normalcy”.
ITV correspondent Richard Gaisford has tweeted there may be a delay to Mugabe’s speech amid chaos inside State House.
A frail Mugabe reads his statement slowly and pauses frequently.
Am told there may be a delay to #Mugabe speech - because he is refusing to show it to anyone before he delivers it. Chaos inside State House #Harare apparently.
Mugabe says army intervention was “triggered by concerns arising from their reading of the state of affairs in our country and in the ruling Zanu-PF party”.
Guardian and Observer correspondent Emma Graham-Harrison tweets from Harare:
Mugabe says a meeting with the military leaders today has made him aware of issues that need to be addressed in the country.
New Era for #TeamZanuPF — (they had the T-shirts out before Mugabe was) pic.twitter.com/xEU8kHnVnS
Mugabe has begun speaking on state television.
Comrade Bob and Grace may go, but little good will come if power is retained in the hands of Zanu-PF septuagenarians, writes our Africa correspondent.
Reuters is reporting that Robert Mugabe has agreed to resign as Zimbabwe’s president, citing a source familiar with the negotiations.
The ruling Zanu-PF party had given the 93-year-old less than 24 hours to quit as head of state or face impeachment, an attempt to secure a peaceful end to his tenure after a de facto coup.
The source said the military was working on a resignation statement by Mugabe, without giving details.
State broadcaster ZBC said Mugabe would address the nation shortly.
Earlier on Sunday, pictured were published by the official Herald newspaper of Mugabe meeting top generals at his State House offices.
Robert Mugabe is expected to address Zimbabwe to announce his resignation as president after the ruling party gave him until noon on Monday to step down or face impeachment.
In an extraordinary meeting in Harare, the capital, on Sunday morning more than 200 Zanu-PF leaders voted to sack Mugabe as the party’s leader and demanded that the 93-year-old resign as head of state.
Here is our live coverage of Mugabe’s departure after 37 years as Zimbabwe’s leader, the only one the country has had since gaining independence from Britain.
