Zimbabweans march as Mugabe resists to leave post

HARARE - Agence France-Presse

Thousands of protesters flooded Zimbabwe’s streets demanding Robert Mugabe’s resignation on Nov. 18 in a movement organised by independence war veterans and backed by ruling party barons and the army.

The mass turnout came after an unprecedented week which saw the army’s top brass seizing power and putting Mugabe under house arrest in response to his sacking of Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

It was a stunning turnaround for Mugabe who has ruled Zimbabwe with an iron fist since 1980.

Veterans of the liberation war, who previously supported Mugabe, had called the gathering which saw marchers rallying in Highfield, a working-class suburb of Harare.

"This is the best day of my life. We are hoping for a new life after Mugabe," said 38-year-old Sam Sechete who was marching at Highfield with a crutch.

A symbolic location, Highfield was where Mugabe gave his first speech after returning from exile in Mozambique ahead of independence in 1980.

Demonstrators, who began arriving around midnight, roared, whistled and danced, brandishing placards proclaiming: "Not coup but cool" and "Mugabe must go!"

Other demonstrators began heading towards Mugabe’s opulent private residence, known as the Blue Roof.

In the second city Bulawayo, demonstrators sounded car horns, whistled and blew vuvuzelas as they gathered outside City Hall.

Such an open display of disloyalty would have been unthinkable just a week ago as dissent was routinely crushed by security forces.

But in a statement released on Nov. 17, the army said it fully supported the protests.

The majority of Zimbabweans have only known life under Mugabe’s rule which has been defined by violent suppression, economic collapse and international isolation.

"I went to university but here I am selling bananas to earn a living. If it wasn’t for Mugabe, I would be doing something else," said street vendor Abel Kapodogo, 34.

There was an atmosphere of celebration among the crowds with protesters cheering the soldiers and stopping to shake their hands.

"Today is independence, we are suffering too much," said 14-year-old marcher Grace Kazhanje.

"This is our new independence day."

Emma Muchenje, a 37-year-old market worker, said she had skipped work to be at the march.

"This day took too long to come," she told AFP.

As many as 10,000 people were at the Highfield protest, AFP correspondents said.

A separate #ThisFlag march led by anti-Mugabe pastor Evan Mawarire was heading through Harare city centre towards the president’s office at State House.

Mugabe enraged many Zimbabweans when he failed to resign following talks with the army’s top brass on Nov. 16, with sources suggesting the veteran leader was "buying time" to negotiate a favourable end to his 37-year reign.

He appeared publicly for the first time on Nov. 17 at a pre-planned graduation ceremony in Harare, further stoking speculation about his talks with General Constantino Chiwenga, who led the military power grab.

Later on Nov. 17, eight of the 10 regional branches of Mugabe’s ruling ZANU-PF took to state television to call for him to go -- yet another a serious blow to the embattled leader.