HARARE: The leader of Zimbabwe’s war veterans association, an influential voice in national politics, on Friday said President Robert Mugabe must step down at once and urged people to protest against the veteran leader.
Mugabe attended a university graduation ceremony on Friday, making a defiant first public appearance since the military takeover that appeared to signal the end of his 37-year reign. The generals took over late on Tuesday after vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa was abruptly sacked and Mugabe’s wife Grace emerged in prime position to succeed her increasingly frail husband.
Grace has not been seen since the takeover of the military, which has not overtly called for President Mugabe‘s resignation.Christopher Mutsvangwa told a press conference the “game was up” for Mugabe and his wife Grace. He called for a huge turnout at street protests planned for Saturday in Harare. “The generals have done a fantastic job. It’s done, it’s finished,” he said. “We want to restore our pride and tomorrow is the day... we can finish the job which the army started. “There’s no going back about Mugabe. He must leave.” Veterans of Zimbabwe’s independence war were loyal supporters of Mugabe, but they turned against him as friction grew between the president and the military.
The military said Friday they had detained some “criminals” in Mugabe‘s government in a reference to supporters of Grace’s presidential ambitions. Many Zimbabweans have either welcomed the army’s intervention or were indifferent to it. “We needed change. Our situation has been pathetic,” said Keresenzia Moyo, a 65-year-old housewife in Harare.