World

Robert Mugabe stuns Zimbabwe by failing to quit in live televised address

 Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, centre rear, meets with Defence Forces generals at State House, in Harare, Sunday PICTURE: Zimbabwe Herald via AP
 Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, centre rear, meets with Defence Forces generals at State House, in Harare, Sunday PICTURE: Zimbabwe Herald via AP  Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, centre rear, meets with Defence Forces generals at State House, in Harare, Sunday PICTURE: Zimbabwe Herald via AP

ZIMBABWE'Spresident Robert Mugabe has baffled the country by ending his address on national television without announcing his resignation.

The ruling party's Central Committee had hours earlier told him to resign as president by noon on Monday or face impeachment proceedings the following day.

Zimbabweans gathered in expectation of a celebration.

Instead, Mugabe appeared to hint at challenging the ruling party, which has expelled him as its leader, by trying to stay on.

He made a reference to presiding over a party congress next month.

"The congress is due in a few weeks from now. I will preside over its processes, which must not be possessed by any acts calculated to undermine it or compromise the outcomes in the eyes of the public," he said.

Officials close to the talks between Mugabe and the military had said the president would resign.

The Central Committee of Zanu-PF has fired Mugabe as party chief, expelled his wife and named the recently dismissed vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa as its new head.

Parliament resumes on Tuesday and impeachment proceedings would begin then.

The central committee said Mr Mnangagwa should be its nominee to take over as president.

The decisions follow a dramatic few days in which the military put Mugabe under house arrest, angered by his firing of Mr Mnangagwa and positioning of the unpopular first lady to replace him – and probably succeed her husband as leader.

The party accuses Grace Mugabe of "preaching hate, divisiveness and assuming roles and powers not delegated to the office". She was removed as head of the women's league.

The party's decisions on Sunday will be formalised at a special congress next month.

The 93-year-old Mugabe is meeting on Sunday with the army commander who put him under house arrest days ago in a second round of talks on his departure after nearly four decades in power.

Mugabe's talks with Constantino Chiwenga are the second round of negotiations on an exit as the military tries to avoid accusations of a coup.

Zimbabwean officials have not revealed details of the talks but the military appears to favour a voluntary resignation by Mugabe to maintain a veneer of legality in the political transition.

Mugabe, in turn, could be using whatever leverage he has left to try to preserve his legacy as one of Africa's liberation leaders or even protect himself and his family from possible prosecution.

Chris Mutsvangwa, head of the country's liberation war veterans, said he was concerned that the military could end up opening fire to protect Mugabe from protesters. He vowed to "bring back the crowd" if the president did not step aside.

"We would expect that Mugabe would not have the prospect of the military shooting at people, trying to defend him," Mr Mutsvangwa said. "The choice is his."

The negotiations come ahead of a key ruling party congress next month, as well as scheduled elections next year.

Sunday's talks do not appear to include the South African government delegation that took part in the first round. South Africa's president on Saturday said talks are in "early days".

The southern African regional bloc will hold a four-country summit in Angola on Tuesday to discuss the Zimbabwe situation.

Mugabe finds himself increasingly isolated under house arrest in his lavish Blue Roof mansion, deserted by most of his allies, with others arrested.

On Saturday, most of Harare's population of 1.6 million poured into the streets in an anti-Mugabe demonstration that just days ago would have brought a police crackdown.

They clambered on to tanks moving slowly through the crowds, took selfies with soldiers and surged in the thousands toward the State House building where Mugabe held official functions, a symbol of the rule of the man who took power after independence from white minority rule in 1980.

The euphoria came after years of watching the once-prosperous African nation fall into decay, with a collapsing economy, repression of free speech, disputed elections and international sanctions.