Robert Mugabe has reportedly agreed to step down as President of Zimbabwe, following a military takeover in the capital Harare.
Troops seized control of state television station, ZBC, arrested several ministers and said they were acting against “criminals” surrounding the 93-year-old head of state.
Mugabe has since “negotiated with the country’s military for his wife Grace to leave the country and obtain ‘safe haven’, possibly in neighbouring South Africa, in return for him giving up power”, the African News Agency reports, citing a security source.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The source confirmed that soldiers “have the President and his presidential guard under siege” and said Mugabe would announce the handover of power at a press conference later today.
“The main goal of the generals appeared to be preventing Mugabe’s wife Grace,41 years his junior, from succeeding him,” Reuters reports.
However, some reports suggest that she has already fled to neighbouring Namibia. Namibian officials have not confirmed that she is there.
Zimbabwe remains “on a knife edge”, says Reuters, with military vehicles and personnel continuing to occupy strategic positions throughout the capital. But shops and businesses are open and many Zimbabweans are going about their business.
“No matter what happens, this appears to be a watershed moment for Zimbabwe and southern Africa, which have suffered from the tumult of Mugabe’s reign, even as his hold on power sometimes seemed unshakable,” says the Washington Post.
-
Political cartoons for October 25Cartoons Saturday’s political cartoons include hospital bill trauma, Independence Day, and more
-
Roasted squash and apple soup recipeThe Week Recommends Autumnal soup is full of warming and hearty flavours
-
Ukraine: Donald Trump pivots againIn the Spotlight US president apparently warned Volodymyr Zelenskyy to accept Vladimir Putin’s terms or face destruction during fractious face-to-face
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designationThe Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
