Mugabe…The End

Robert Mugabe resigned as Zimbabwe’s President on Tuesday, a week after the army and his former political allies moved against him, ending his 37 years of rule.
This is a man who turned from independence hero to archetypal African strongman.
The 93-year-old had clung on for a week after an army takeover and expulsion from his own ruling ZANU-PF party.
He resigned shortly after parliament began an impeachment process seen as the only legal way to force him out.
Wild celebrations broke out at a joint sitting of parliament when Speaker Jacob Mudenda announced Mugabe’s resignation and suspended the impeachment procedure.
People danced and car horns blared on the streets of Harare at news that the era of Mugabe – who led Zimbabwe since independence in 1980 – was finally over.
Some people held posters of Zimbabwean Army Chief, Gen. Constantino Chiwenga and former Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa, whose sack this month triggered the military takeover that forced Mugabe to resign.
Mugabe is the only leader Zimbabwe has known since a guerrilla struggle ended white-minority rule in the former Rhodesia.
During his reign, he took the once-rich country to economic ruin and kept his grip on power through repression of opponents.
He styled himself as the ‘’Grand Man of African politics’’ and kept the admiration of many people across Africa.
The army seized power after Mugabe sacked Mnangagwa, ZANU-PF’s favourite to succeed him, to smooth a path to the presidency for his wife Grace, 52, known to her critics as “Gucci Grace” for her reputed fondness for luxury shopping.
But Mugabe refused to resign; prompting the impeachment procedure which would have been the only legal was to force him out.
Mnangagwa, whose whereabout is unknown after fleeing the country in fear for his safety, is expected to take over as president.
A former security chief, known as The Crocodile, was a key lieutenant to Mugabe for decades and was accused of participating in repression against Zimbabweans, that  challenged the leader.
Reuters reported in September that Mnangagwa was plotting to succeed Mugabe, with army backing at the helm of a broad coalition.
The plot posited an interim unity government with international blessing to allow for Zimbabwe’s re-engagement with the world after decades of isolation from global lenders and donors.
Mugabe led Zimbabwe’s liberation war and is hailed as one of post-colonial Africa’s founding fathers and a staunch supporter of the drive to free neighbouring South Africa from apartheid in 1994.
But many say he has damaged Zimbabwe’s economy, democracy and judiciary by staying in power for too long and has used violence to crush perceived political opponents.
Since the crisis began, Mugabe has been mainly confined to his “Blue Roof” mansion in the capital where Grace is also believed to be.
Earlier, a large crowd gathered outside Zimbabwe’s parliament as legislators began impeachment proceedings against Mugabe.
Morgan Tsvangirai’s opposition Movement for Democratic Change party said that both parties had agreed to impeach Mugabe.
However, Tsvangirai stressed that is not enough to simply remove Mugabe as president without changing the whole “system and culture” of the ruling Zanu-PF.
He accused the party of being “premised on gross human rights abuse and shrinking the democratic place.”
After lawmakers initially assembled at parliament, proceedings had to be moved to a hotel given the large number of members who turned up and a lack of space.
The political drama has been unsettling for Zimbabweans, who welcomed the military takeover, but are now unsure how long it will take for Mugabe to actually leave power.
Lovemore Madhuku, a law professor at University of Zimbabwe, said on Monday that impeachment proceedings could last anywhere between 72 hours and several months.
There are three stages involved: the motion must be moved, a committee set up to investigate the charges, and then a vote taken by both the parliament and the senate.
A two-thirds majority is needed for impeachment to pass.
Mugabe, who has been under house arrest since the coup, suffered another small humiliation earlier Tuesday, when only a handful of ministers turned up for a cabinet meeting that he had defiantly called.
“Only five ministers have turned up for the meeting, the rest snubbed him because they are with the people’s wishes,’’ said Douglas Mahiya, a leader of the influential War Veterans Association.
Ahead of parliament’s sitting, Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was fired as Mugabe’s deputy and now looks set to replace him, made his first comments since the takeover.
Mnangagwa threw his support behind impeachment proceedings in a statement, also saying he would only return to the country when his security could be guaranteed.
He fled to South Africa after his dismissal, saying he feared for his life.
Mnangagwa said he had been in communication with Mugabe but that proper talks between the two should wait until after the impeachment proceedings.
“If [Mugabe] 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 added.
Known as “the Crocodile” for his cunning and ruthlessness, Mnangagwa is supported by the army and the War Veterans’ Association, both of which were afraid Mugabe might hand power to his wife Grace, who is widely disliked.
Mnangagwa was named the new Zanu-PF party leader on Sunday to replace Mugabe.
But in a live televised address to the nation that night, during which he was expected to resign, Mugabe baffled the nation by instead promising to lead a Zanu-PF party conference in December.
Botswana’s President, in an open letter, called on Tuesday for Mugabe to go, while the leaders of South Africa and Angola are headed to Zimbabwe on Wednesday to access the situation.