On Sunday, the party that Robert Mugabe led for nearly four decades dismissed him as its leader, another blow to the country’s long-ruling president who was detained, last week, by the military. The party, also, put pressure on Mugabe to resign by, noon Monday, or face impeachment proceedings.
The central committee of “ZANU-PF”, the ruling party, voted to replace Mugabe with former vice president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, and kicked Mugabe’s once-powerful wife, Grace, from its ranks.
But the move to remove Mugage as party leader does not appear to have any immediate impact on Mugabe’s position as president. The central committee was composed of Mugabe’s rivals, some of whom had been forced from “ZANU-PF”, months or years ago.
On Sunday, Mugabe continued negotiations with the military commanders who placed him under house arrest and a delegation from the Catholic Church. Those talks appear to be the most significant part of the process that looks increasingly like it will lead to the end of Mugabe’s reign.
Samira SALAH
