Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe is reportedly stepping down

Zimbabwe Gen. Constantine Chiwenga draws a line
(Image credit: Jekesai Njikizana/AFP/Getty Images)

Update 8:53 a.m. ET: After originally describing the Zanu-PF Twitter account as an official government source, the BBC walked back its characterization. The account itself maintains its legitimacy, but it is unclear what affiliation it has with Mugabe’s ruling party. Our original story appears below.

Early Wednesday, Maj. Gen. Sibusiso Moyo, Zimbabwe's army chief of staff, denied on state TV that the military had overthrown longtime President Robert Mugabe, despite tanks in the streets and reports of explosions and gunfire. The ruling ZANU-PF party later tweeted that former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, whom Mugabe had ousted last week, had stepped in as interim president, and South Africa's News24 reported that Mugabe, 93, is "preparing to step down."

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.