A lot has happened in the past few days in Zimbabwe, where the world’s oldest head of state tries to remain in power even under military house arrest. Thousands of giddy Zimbabweans have poured in the streets to demand his departure, tired of a collapsing economy that once was one of Africa’s strongest. Here’s a quick guide to the key events and players:
MUGABE
The 93-year-old President Robert Mugabe has been under house arrest since Tuesday, when the military moved in. That decision was sparked by Mugabe’s firing of his longtime deputy, leading to fears that the president was positioning his unpopular wife, Grace, to succeed him. Mugabe is said to be asking for more time amid negotiations on his departure. The military has been taking pains to refer to him as president and allowed him to make a public appearance Friday at a graduation ceremony, where he received polite applause.
THE MILITARY
Zimbabwe’s army commander on Monday threatened to “step in” after Mugabe fired Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, and the next day he did. In an extraordinary image on Thursday, state-run media published photos of Gen. Constantino Chiwenga shaking hands with a smiling Mugabe at the State House as negotiations with regional leaders continued. They were meeting again on Sunday. The military is trying not to project the image of a coup, which could bring regional sanctions and further harm the country’s standing with international investors.
THE RULING PARTY
The ruling ZANU-PF party’s Central Committee is expected to meet Sunday after all 10 provincial branches passed no-confidence votes and demanded that Mugabe be recalled as party leader. They also want the first lady recalled and the fired Mnangagwa reinstated. The ruling party also could press for impeachment when Parliament resumes Tuesday.
THE PEOPLE
Several thousand people were in the streets of the capital, Harare, to demand Mugabe’s exit as Zimbabweans giddily explore the rare freedom of expression amid the political limbo. Saturday’s demonstration was approved by the military and had participation from across the political spectrum, from Mugabe’s once-staunch loyalists among the liberation war veterans to opposition activists long-used to police crackdowns. State-run media covered the events with headlines like “#MugabeMustGo!”
THE NEXT LEADERS?
Mnangagwa fled the country shortly after his firing by Mugabe and his whereabouts are unknown. He is expected to lead any new government, and his supporters say he will make a public appearance once arrangements for Mugabe’s exit are complete. High-profile opposition leaders such as Morgan Tsvangiari, who shared power with Mugabe between 2009 and 2013 before losing disputed elections, are expected to play a role in a new government, but they have said they have not been contacted by those taking part in the Mugabe negotiations.
THE FIRST LADY
Grace Mugabe has been out of the picture, literally, since the military stepped in. Once ever-present at her husband’s side at public events, she has not been seen in days. The quick-tempered first lady, deeply unpopular among Zimbabweans for her lavish spending, did not accompany the president Friday and was not pictured in photographs of State House negotiations. Despite rumors that she has fled the country, she is thought to remain under house arrest. In one example of Zimbabweans’ anger at the idea of her becoming their next president, one sign at Saturday’s massive demonstration read: “Leadership is not sexually transmitted.”
