Robert Mugabe resigns as Zimbabwe’s president

Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe has submitted his resignation after virtually four decades because the country’s chief.

Mugabe defied demands to step down for honest about per week after a navy takeover and expulsion from his comprise ruling ZANU-PF occasion nonetheless stepped down on Tuesday, hours after parliament started an impeachment direction of.

Cheers broke out within the parliament after speaker Jacob Mudenda read out Mugabe’s resignation letter.

« I Robert Gabriel Mugabe by fraction ninety six of the constitution of Zimbabwe hereby formally snug my resignation … with immediate discontinuance, » acknowledged Mudenda, reading the letter.

#MugabeResigns https://t.co/Z9Rl01JZKS pic.twitter.com/Ri1kbTRuM5

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) November 21, 2017

Harare residents maintain a good time after Mugabe’s resignation [Mike Hutchings/Reuters]

The news additionally sparked scenes of jubilation within the capital, Harare, as mammoth crowds cheered, danced and sang to maintain a good time Mugabe’s departure.

« Of us are popping out onto the streets, they’re calling this expose day Independence Day, » Al Jazeera’s Haru Mutasa, reporting from Harare, acknowledged. 

« It is getting chaotic, » she added. « Some other folks accumulated can no longer judge this has came about. Of us yelp they’re truly angry and hoping for a better future. »

At Harare’s Rainbow Towers, crowds cheered as an image of Mugabe – hung in most public enterprise premises – became as soon as taken down.

Celebrations additionally erupted in central Johannesburg, in neighbouring South Africa, as Zimbabweans there additionally took to the streets to cheer on the news.

Mugabe’s resignation introduced an reside to the impeachment direction of initiated by ZANU-PF after its Central Committee voted to push aside him as occasion chief.

The letter read at parliament didn’t specify who will be triumphant Mugabe. The probably successor is ex-Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, whose sacking on November 6 prompted the turmoil.

Mudenda, the speaker, acknowledged parliament would now manufacture sure the « ethical ethical processes are save in
space so as that the country can proceed ahead » and elect a new president.

Fresh generation

Mugabe, ninety three, led Zimbabwe’s war for independence within the 1970s.

He came to power in 1980 and his 37-yr rule became as soon as criticised for repression of dissent, election rigging, and for inflicting the country’s economic crumple.

« Any particular person who goes to rule Zimbabwe now may perhaps well perhaps maintain discovered a lesson and ought to accumulated no longer repeat the identical things, » Anthony Mutambirwa, a Harare resident, told Al Jazeera after news of Mugabe’s resignation spread.

Mugabe’s resignation letter capped the reside of a ancient week which seen the navy seizing power and tens of thousands of oldsters taking to the streets to inquire of he stepped down.

Zimbabweans maintain a good time launch air the parliament building in Harare [Ben Curtis/The Associated Press]

The shock navy takeover on November 15 became as soon as prompted by Mugabe’s probability to sack, who had been First Lady Grace Mugabe’s predominant opponent to be triumphant the outmoded chief.

In a uncommon signal of cohesion between the folk and the navy, which has in overall been a pillar of toughen for Mugabe’s approach 40-yr rule, tens of thousands of Zimbabweans on Saturday took to the streets to true toughen for the navy’s operation.

« Over the years, the navy has been accused of being implicit with Mugabe, » acknowledged Al Jazeera’s Mutasa.

« Of us wanted Mugabe to transfer, so the finest procedure to complete this became as soon as to work with the navy. »

Victor Chifodya, a dilapidated Harare councillor, acknowledged he became as soon as « overjoyed on the news ».

« Mugabe became as soon as a extremely divisive man nonetheless now other folks from all political events maintain approach together to fabricate him resign, » he told Al Jazeera.

« I’m so tickled – now we are in a position to open a new Zimbabwe, » added Chifodya.

With reporting from Tendai Marima in Harare. Note her on Twitter: @i_amten

Troopers and civilias pose for pictures launch air the ZANU-PF headquarters [Tendai Marima/Al Jazeera] [Al Jazeera]

Victor Chifodya, along with his buddy Justin Mwanambu, dance in occasion [Tendai Marima/Al Jazeera]

Cheering crowds launch air the Rainbow Towers hotel in Harare  Tendai Marima/Al Jazeera [Al Jazeera]