Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe agreed to step down Tuesday in the face of crumbling support and a “soft coup” engineered by the military, ending 37 years of autocratic rule in the southern African nation.
The 93-year-old Mr. Mugabe, the world’s oldest head of state and the only leader the country has known since winning independence from Britain in 1980, resigned as parliament was beginning impeachment proceedings against him.
Word of his decision to step down led to celebrations in the streets of Harare.
“My decision to resign is voluntary on my part and arises from my concern for the welfare of the people of Zimbabwe and my desire for a smooth, nonviolent transfer of power,” Mr. Mugabe said in a letter which was read out in parliament.
A member of the ruling ZANU-PF party told The Associated Press that former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, fired by Mr. Mugabe in a bid to clear the way for his unpopular wife, Grace Mugabe, to succeed him, will take over as president by the end of the week.
The firing of Mr. Mnangagwa, another hero of the independence movement with close ties to the military and veterans’ groups, sparked a constitutional crisis last week with the army taking control of the government and detaining the president. Mr. Mugabe originally vowed to fight for his job, but resigned as it became increasingly clear he could not save his job.
• David R. Sands can be reached at dsands@washingtontimes.com.
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