Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe resigned on Tuesday, succumbing to a week of overwhelming pressure from the military
Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe resigned on Tuesday, succumbing to a week of overwhelming pressure from the military, lawmakers from the ruling party and opposition who started impeachment proceedings and a population that surged into the streets to say 37 years in power was enough. The capital, Harare, erupted in jubilation after news spread that the 93-year-old leader's resignation letter was read out by the speaker of parliament, whose members had gathered to impeach Mugabe after he ignored escalating calls to quit since a military takeover.
People celebrate in the streets of Harare after the resignation of Robert Mugabe. Pic/AFP
Cars honked and people danced and sang across the city in a spectacle of free expression that would have been impossible during his rule. "Welcome to the new Zimbabwe," people chanted outside a conference centre where the lawmakers met. "Change was overdue. ... Maybe this change will bring jobs," said 23-year-old Thomas Manase, an unemployed university graduate.
