Zimbabwe President, Robert Mugabe is refusing to eat in protest against his confinement, one of his close family members has said. The 93-year-old has
Zimbabwe President, Robert Mugabe is refusing to eat in protest against his confinement, one of his close family members has said. The 93-year-old has not accepted any food since Saturday as he continues to be held under house arrest at his Blue Roof mansion. Mugabe’s nephew, Patrick Zhuwao said on Saturday that Mr Mugabe was willing to die for what is correct.
This came after he was sacked as the leader of the party. His powerful wife, Grace was similarly dismissed. Robert Mugabe, the only leader the southern African nation has known since independence from Britain in 1980, was replaced by Emmerson Mnangagwa, the deputy he sacked this month in a move that triggered Tuesday’s intervention by the army. In scenes unthinkable just a week ago, the announcement was met by cheers from the 200 delegates packed into ZANU-PF’s Harare headquarters to seal the fate of Mugabe, whose support has crumbled in the four days since the army seized power.
A Zanu-PF minister confirmed that Mugabe is also refusing to speak as part of his days-long protest. “The old man has been trying a lot of various tricks since last night,’ the minister, who asked not to be named, said, “Hunger strikes, making threats and refusing to talk. If he dies under military custody, even by natural causes, then the army will be held responsible by the international community. That is how the president is trying to put pressure on the army.”
Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe’s ruling party has given the 93-year-old leader less than 24 hours to quit as head of state or face impeachment. Robert Mugabe who once said he has a degree in violence has been given until noon (1000 GMT) on Monday to resign or face impeachment.
As the economy crumbled and political opposition to his rule grew in the late 1990s, Mugabe showed his true colours, seizing thousands of white-owned farms, detaining opponents and unleashing security forces to crush dissent. Mugabe’s 52-year-old wife Grace, who had harboured ambitions of succeeding her husband, was also expelled from the party, along with at least three cabinet ministers who had formed the backbone of her ‘G40’ political faction.
Speaking before the meeting, Mutsvangwa said Mugabe, who has so far resisted calls to quit, was running out of time to negotiate his departure and should leave the country while he could. If Mugabe refused to go, “We will bring back the crowds and they will do their business,” Mutsvangwa told reporters.
Mnangagwa, a former state security chief known as “The Crocodile,” is expected to head an interim post-Mugabe unity government that will focus on rebuilding ties with the outside world and stabilising an economy in freefall.
