Jacob Mudenda, Zimbabwe’s speaker of parliament brought the house to cheers when he informed that he had received President Mugabe’s resignation letter that stated that he resigned from his post voluntarily.
The members of the parliament who had gathered in the house earlier to process Robert Mugabe’s impeachment after he defied resigning by Monday midday, the deadline he was earlier given, all shouted in celebration on receiving the news.
Mr. Mudenda made the announcement on Tuesday, same day that Mugabe resigned.
Robert Mugabe’s resignation came after he was called out to, by his once Vice President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, who when communicating with the now former President, gave him two options.
‘In my conversation with the President I told him that there are two options left for him and that is: (a) to cooperate in the current negotiations with comrades from the defense forces for a peaceful resolution of this crisis, which would result in the preservation of his legacy. (b) That if he continues to dig in, in defiance of the will of the people, he might suffer humiliation because definitely the will of the people will prevail against one person,’ Mnangagwa was reported earlier as saying.
Following Mr. Mugabe’s resignation just a few hours after their conversation report was issued, the former president must have opted for the first option.
Mugabe had still been resistant to resigning even after the military had taken over the country’s capital and putting him under house arrest, until he finally made up his mind, left with no option but to resign – sources show.
Zimbabweans after receiving the news, hit the streets of Harare in thousands erupting in celebrations, running all over the streets and some were seen shading tears of joy.
Following the situation in Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa, the former Vice President who was also recently named ZANU-PF’s new leader when they sacked Mugabe on Sunday, is the most likely expected person to succeed Robert Mugabe, and lead Zimbabwe onwards.
Reporter: Shamilah Namuddu
