Harare - Zimbabwe's former president
Robert Mugabe was granted immunity from prosecution and assured
that his safety would be protected in his home country as part
of a deal that led to his resignation, sources close to the
negotiations said on Thursday.
Mugabe, who had led Zimbabwe from independence in 1980,
stepped down on Tuesday after the army seized power and the
ruling party turned against him. Emmerson Mnangagwa, the former
vice president sacked by Mugabe earlier this month, is set to be
sworn in as president on Friday.
A government source said Mugabe, who is 93, told negotiators
he wanted to die in Zimbabwe and had no plans to live in exile.
"It was very emotional for him and he was forceful about
it," said the source, who is not authorised to speak on the
details of the negotiated settlement.
"For him it was very important that he be guaranteed
security to stay in the country...although that will not stop
him from travelling abroad when he wants to or has to," the
source said.
Mugabe resigned on Tuesday as parliament began a process to
impeach him, sparking wild celebrations in the streets. His
rapid downfall after 37 years in power was triggered by a battle
to succeed him that pitted Mnangagwa against Mugabe's much
younger wife Grace.
"The outgoing president is obviously aware of the public
hostility to his wife, the anger in some circles about the
manner in which she conducted herself and approached Zanu-PF
party politics," a second source said.
"In that regard, it became necessary to also assure him that
his whole family, including the wife, would be safe and secure."
Mugabe had clung on to power precariously for a week after
the military intervened. He angered many Zimbabweans when he did
not resign in a televised national address on Sunday as many had
anticipated.
The government source said the tipping point for him was the
realisation that he would be impeached and ousted in an
undignified way.
"When the process started, he then realised he had lost the
party," the source said.
Mugabe will receive a retirement package that includes a
pension, housing, holiday and transport allowance, health
insurance, limited air travel and security in accordance with
Zimbabwean law.
The ageing former president was "rugged and drained" by
events of the past week and may travel to Singapore for medical
checks in the coming weeks, the source said. He had been due to
leave for Singapore in mid-November before the military put him
under house arrest.
MEET THE NEW BOSS
Addressing a cheering crowd in Harare on Wednesday night,
new leader Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe was entering a new stage of
democracy.
Mnangagwa had returned to the country earlier in the day,
having fled for his safety when Mugabe sacked him as vice
president two weeks ago to smooth a path to the succession for
Grace.
"The people have spoken. The voice of the people is the
voice of God," Mnangagwa told thousands of supporters gathered
outside the ruling Zanu-PF party's offices in the capital.
The army appears to have engineered a trouble-free path to
power for Mnangagwa, who was for decades a faithful lieutenant
of Mugabe and member of his elite.
His own human rights record also stirs hostility in many
Zimbabweans. He was in charge of internal security when rights
groups say 20 000 civilians were killed in the 1980s.
Restoring the country's fortunes and international standing
will be a challenge. Human rights abuses and flawed elections
prompted many Western countries to impose sanctions in the early
2000s that further hurt the economy, even with Chinese
investment to soften the blow.
Staging clean elections next year will be key to winning
fresh funds.
Zimbabwe was once one of Africa's most promising economies
but suffered decades of decline as Mugabe pursued policies that
included the violent seizure of white-owned commercial farms and
money-printing that led to hyperinflation.
Most of its 16 million people remain poor and face currency
shortages and sky-high unemployment, something Mnangagwa
promised to address.
A senior International Monetary Fund official said
Zimbabwe's economic situation remained "very difficult" as
sustainable growth is threatened by high government spending, an
untenable foreign exchange regime and inadequate reforms
"Immediate action is critical to reduce the deficit to a
sustainable level, accelerate structural reforms, and re-engage
with the international community to access much needed financial
support," Gene Leon, IMF's mission chief for Zimbabwe said.