President Robert Mugabe (C) in a meeting with the ZDF Commander General Constantino Chiwenga, South African Minister of Defence Minister Nos...
His appearance followed an army statement describing “significant progress”, which was broadcast on national television and published by state-run media on Friday morning. The statement appeared to have been aimed at quelling growing concerns that the military takeover could descend swiftly into chaos, which often has proven wrong. The Zimbabwean population applauding the military for the job well done.
The appearance of the president in public is likely to fuel such worries, and reinforce growing pressure on the military to rapidly resolve the crisis. Adding to the sense of the bizarre, the wife of the general who detained him on Wednesday was among those upon whom Mugabe conferred a degree.
Mugabe has so far resisted pressure to resign and says the army’s intervention is illegal, according to sources close to the military, however he seems to realize it now that the military has the national responsibility to bid a good farewell to his 37 year rules.
The fact that the military allowed Mugabe to attend the graduation ceremony suggests it wants its intervention to acknowledged that its primarily objective is not to overflow the government but to protect and seek justice against president’s wife, Grace Mugabe, and her associates.The statement said the army had “accounted for some of the criminals around [Robert Mugabe] in order to bring them to justice since they were committing crimes that are causing social and economic suffering in the country while others are still at large”.
At a forceful press conference on Friday, Chris Mutsvangwa, the leader of Zimbabwe’s influential war veterans, said the president would not be allowed to remain in power, from now on and tomorrow we are giving a very stark warning to Mugabe, his wife and anyone who wants to be associated with him that the game is up; finished,” Mutsvangwa said, to applause audience of journalists who were present. A march is being organised for Saturday to call for Mugabe to go, which Mutsvangwa urged Zimbabweans to attend.
“We are appealing to all Zimbabweans to come for Saturday the biggest and largest turnout by the Zimbabwean population so we finish the job the army has started,” he said.
Since taking power, the military has arrested about a dozen senior officials and leading members of the G40, a faction of Zanu-PF who are loyal to the first lady. Neither Grace Mugabe nor Jonathan Moyo, the higher education minister, was present at the graduation ceremony. Moyo is believed to be among those detained.
Grace Mugabe has not been seen since the marshal law has imposed on the country by military. Sources told the media that she could perhaps sought political asylum at one of the Zimbabwean Embassy in Windhoek, Namibia a neighboring country.
The takeover is thought to have been prompted within part after growing fears among the intelligence,military and allies of ZANU-PF ruling government following the an imminent purge of rivals of the president’s wife, which would allow Mugabe;s wife to exercise greater power.
Leaders of the interim council met on Friday and has draft a resolution to Mugabe retirement package include family security at the weekend and lay the ground for his impeachment on Monday if he refuses to stand down, a well placed sources revealed.
“There is no going back,” the source said. "If he becomes stubborn, we will take a hard way to the solution. When that is done, it’s impeachment on Monday or Tuesday is possible."
Before Friday’s appearance at the graduation ceremony, Mugabe had been confined to his personal residence in the capital’s affluent neighbourhood of Borrowdale since Tuesday night, when troops seized the state TV channel’s studios and other important sites.
South African envoys are still in Harare to help with negotiations and decide the terms of Mugabe’s resignation. South Africa, the biggest regional power, called an emergency meeting of the Southern African Development Community regional bloc (SADC) in Botswana. The meeting was inconclusive, though a final statement condemned changes of government through unconstitutional means.Many Zimbabweans have cautiously welcomed the military move and the streets were quiet again on Friday and a massive crownd of cheerful Zimbabweans took streets to march for "Robert Mugabe Must Go" during today in most cities of Zimbabwe.
On conclusion the Army has said the the military intervention was a temporary measure to target “criminals” around Mugabe, resolving a succession battle that has pitted Grace Mugabe against the former vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Mnangagwa was reported to have returned to Zimbabwe on Tuesday evening from South Africa, where he fled last week after being stripped of his office by the president in an apparent attempt to clear Grace Mugabe’s path to power.