Mugabe in 1980. Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Mugabe Resigns—Finally

The Zimbabwean president and independence hero Robert Mugabe resigned today after 37 years in office.

Aaron Leaf
November 21, 2017

Weeks, months, years even of speculation have come down to this moment—Robert Mugabe has resigned.

After a confounding speech on Sunday where he was widely expected to resign and didn't, the Zimbabwean president has sent a letter to the speaker of parliament announcing that he is stepping down. After Sunday's speech, a made for TV moment amidst a military coup, Mugabe was widely lauded as a savvy survivor who was somehow singlehandedly outwitting the entire Zimbabwean military apparatus and Zanu PF ruling party.

But alas, all things must end. And so as Zimbabwean parliament moved to impeach, Mugabe finally sent his resignation letter where it was announced by the speaker Jacob Mubenda just minutes ago. People are reportedly celebrating in the streets of Harare and Bulawayo.







As we pointed out last week after the coup, Zimbabwe without Mugabe is certainly a symbolic victory for those trying to move Zimbabwe forward but on a practical level an Emmerson Mnangagwa presidency—an outcome that is almost certain at this point—is not a lot different.

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