ZIMBABWEAN President Robert Mugabe’s options are looking increasingly limited despite the 93-year-old making his first public appearance since the military put him under house arrest this week.
Mugabe attended a graduation ceremony at the Zimbabwe Open University on the outskirts of Harare yesterday after spending much of Thursday locked inside the Zimbabwe capital’s State House.
The president did not make a speech and merely introduced proceedings to polite applause. He arrived in suit and tie and later adorned an academic gown and hat before walking slowly in a red-carpet procession as a marching band played.
There was no sign of the first lady, Grace Mugabe.
His appearance came as as the military announced “significant progress” on talks for his departure and arrested some “criminals” around him. The talks include regional negotiators as well as representatives of the army.
The military continues to refer to Mugabe as the president and commander-in-chief as a sign of respect. However, some in the ruling Zanu-PF party have signalled they are getting impatient with Mugabe, with party branches passing no-confidence votes in the provinces of Mashonaland East and Manicaland.
Others among the country’s 10 provinces, including Midlands, Masvingo and Harare, were said to be following suit.
Parliament is expected to resume sitting on Tuesday. It is possible Zanu-PF could use party procedures to impeach Mugabe with the support of opposition legislators.
Mugabe is the world’s oldest head of state and has been in power in Zimbabwe since 1980, when he took control of the south African country from white-minority rule.
On Tuesday, the head of the military Major General Sibusiso Moyo, after taking control of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, guaranteed his safety.
Meanwhile, Seretse Khama Ian Khama, the president of neighbouring Botswana, has offered Mugabe exile if it would mean quelling tensions in Zimbabwe.
“I’m not concerned because there hasn’t been bloodshed, and also because there are negotiations going on,” Khama told BBC’s Good Morning Scotland.
“What has happened has happened, and I hope that the negotiations will set Zimbabwe on a new path that will see its people now becoming a priority, and not self-interest, and that peace and prosperity will come to that country and make it the economic powerhouse that it is capable of being for the long-suffering people of Zimbabwe.” He added: “It just can’t go on like this.”
Mugabe has reportedly been digging his heels in and has asked for “a few more days, a few more months”, according to the chairman of the influential war veterans’ association in Zimbabwe.
Chris Mutsvangwa, an ally of the recently fired vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa who is expected to lead any new government, said Mugabe would be told by today that his time is up.
“If he doesn’t leave, we will settle the scores tomorrow,” he said.
Mutsvangwa also said three cabinet ministers have been arrested in the military’s efforts to pursue Mugabe allies. Education minister Jonathan Moyo, local government minister Saviour Kasukuwere and finance minister Ignatious Chombo “are in jail” along with a number of others.
Army troops and armoured vehicles continue to patrol Harare as Zimbabweans go about their daily business. Residents said they had feared at first when the military moved in, but praised the current calm.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here