Mugabe agrees to stand down as Zimbabwe president: source
Robert Mugabe
HARARE (Reuters) -  Robert Mugabe  agreed on Sunday to resign as Zimbabweâs president hours after the ruling ZANU-PF party fired him as its leader following 37 years in charge  a source familiar with the negotiations said.
FILE PHOTO:  Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe  looks on as  his  deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa reads a card during  Mugabe 's 93rd birthday celebrations in Harare  Zimbabwe  February 21  2017. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo/File Photo
The source said the Zimbabwe military was working on a resignation statement by  Mugabe   without giving details.
Zimbabweâs state broadcaster ZBC said  Mugabe  would address the nation shortly. Earlier on Sunday  the official Herald newspaper showed pictures of  him  meeting top generals at  his  State House offices.
 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 the mid-week intervention by the army.
In scenes unthinkable just a week ago  the announcement drew cheers from the 200 delegates packed into ZANU-PFâs Harare headquarters to seal the fate of  Mugabe   whose support has crumbled in the four days since the army seized power.
 Mugabe  was given until noon (5.00 a.m. ET) on Monday to resign or face impeachment  an ignominious end to the career of the âGrand Old Manâ of African politics who was once feted across the continent as an anti-colonial liberation hero.
Even in the West   he  was renowned in  his  early years as the âThinking Manâs Guerrillaâ  an ironic nickname for a man who would later proudly declare  he  held a âdegree in violenceâ.
As the economy crumbled and political opposition to  his  rule grew in the late 1990s   Mugabe  seized thousands of white-owned farms  detained opponents and unleashed security forces to crush dissent.
When the vote was announced  war veterans leader Chris Mutsvangwa  who has spearheaded an 18-month campaign to remove a man he openly described as a âdictatorâ  embraced colleagues and shouted: â The President  is gone. Long live  the new President .â
 Mugabe âs 52-year-old wife Grace  who had harbored ambitions of succeeding her husband  was also expelled from ZANU-PF  along with at least three cabinet ministers who had formed the backbone of her âG40â political faction.
If  Mugabe  refused to go  âwe will bring back the crowds and they will do their business â Mutsvangwa told reporters.
FILE PHOTO: Zimbabwe Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa listens as President Robert Mugabe (not pictured) delivers his state of the nation address to the country's parliament in Harare  August 25  2015. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo/File Photo
On Saturday  men  women and children ran alongside the armored cars and troops who stepped in to target what the army called âcriminalsâ in  Mugabe âs inner circle.
âYou canât fire a Revolutionary leader!â he wrote on this Facebook page. âZANU-PF is nothing without  President Mugabe .â
Despite the euphoria  some  Mugabe  opponents are uneasy about the prominent role played by the military  and fear Zimbabwe might be swapping one army-backed autocrat for another  rather than allowing the people to choose their next leader.
HARARE (Reuters) -   [TGT] agreed on Sunday to resign as Zimbabweâs president hours after the ruling ZANU-PF party fired  [TGT]  as its leader following 37 years in charge  a source familiar with the negotiations said.
FILE PHOTO:   [TGT] looks on as   [TGT]   deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa reads a card during  Mugabe 's 93rd birthday celebrations in Harare  Zimbabwe  February 21  2017. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo/File Photo
The source said the Zimbabwe military was working on a resignation statement by  [TGT] without giving details.
Zimbabweâs state broadcaster ZBC said   [TGT] would address the nation shortly. Earlier on Sunday  the official Herald newspaper showed pictures of  him  meeting top generals at  his  State House offices.
  [TGT] 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 the mid-week intervention by the army.
In scenes unthinkable just a week ago  the announcement drew cheers from the 200 delegates packed into ZANU-PFâs Harare headquarters to seal the fate of  Mugabe   whose support has crumbled in the four days since the army seized power.
  [TGT] was given until noon (5.00 a.m. ET) on Monday to resign or face impeachment  an ignominious end to the career of the âGrand Old Manâ of African politics who was once feted across the continent as an anti-colonial liberation hero.
Even in the West    [TGT]   was renowned in   [TGT]   early years as the âThinking Manâs Guerrillaâ  an ironic nickname for a man who would later proudly declare   [TGT]   held a âdegree in violenceâ.
As the economy crumbled and political opposition to  his  rule grew in the late 1990s    [TGT] seized thousands of white-owned farms  detained opponents and unleashed security forces to crush dissent.
When the vote was announced  war veterans leader Chris Mutsvangwa  who has spearheaded an 18-month campaign to remove a man he openly described as a âdictatorâ  embraced colleagues and shouted: â The President  is gone. Long live  the new President .â
  [TGT]  52-year-old wife Grace  who had harbored ambitions of succeeding her husband  was also expelled from ZANU-PF  along with at least three cabinet ministers who had formed the backbone of her âG40â political faction.
If   [TGT] refused to go  âwe will bring back the crowds and they will do their business â Mutsvangwa told reporters.
FILE PHOTO: Zimbabwe Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa listens as President Robert Mugabe (not pictured) delivers his state of the nation address to the country's parliament in Harare  August 25  2015. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo/File Photo
On Saturday  men  women and children ran alongside the armored cars and troops who stepped in to target what the army called âcriminalsâ in  Mugabe âs inner circle.
âYou canât fire a Revolutionary leader!â he wrote on this Facebook page. âZANU-PF is nothing without  President Mugabe .â
Despite the euphoria  some  Mugabe  opponents are uneasy about the prominent role played by the military  and fear Zimbabwe might be swapping one army-backed autocrat for another  rather than allowing the people to choose their next leader.