Share

Military 'should step back and allow people to oust Mugabe', says war vets leader

Harare - Zimbabwe's influential war veterans association says the military should step back and let the people, and politics, remove longtime President Robert Mugabe from power.

Chris Mutsvangwa says more protests are planned as Mugabe faces a midday deadline set by the ruling party to resign or face impeachment proceedings.

Zimbabweans were astonished that Mugabe, flanked by the military, in a national address Sunday night did not announce his resignation.

"Your time is up," Mutsvangwa says, and he suggests that the military, even though it put Mugabe under house arrest days ago, is still beholden to him and compelled to protect him because he is officially their "commander in chief."

He also says the war veterans' association is going to court to argue that Mugabe is "derelict of his executive duty".

___

08:45 

Zimbabweans are worried about their country's fate after the increasingly isolated President Robert Mugabe did not resign in a televised speech as many had expected.

"Arrogant Mugabe disregards Zanu-PF," a newspaper headline says, a reference to the ruling party that has demanded he resign by noon Monday or face impeachment.

Opposition activists plan more protests to pressure Mugabe.

Some ruling party members say an impeachment process likely wouldn't lead to Mugabe's immediate resignation and could take days to complete. Mugabe has been stripped of his party leadership but said in Sunday night's speech he would preside over a party congress next month.

Some people in the capital, Harare, are now more cautious about talking to reporters. That contrasts with the jubilation and open condemnation of Mugabe over the weekend.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
67% - 863 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
33% - 424 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.85
+0.9%
Rand - Pound
23.59
+0.9%
Rand - Euro
20.20
+1.0%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.32
+0.6%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+1.6%
Platinum
925.70
+0.0%
Palladium
973.50
-1.7%
Gold
2,344.07
+0.5%
Silver
27.59
+0.6%
Brent Crude
89.01
+1.1%
Top 40
69,240
+1.2%
All Share
75,186
+1.2%
Resource 10
63,091
+1.6%
Industrial 25
103,500
+1.0%
Financial 15
15,986
+1.2%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE