Mugabe Appears in Public for the First Time After House Arrest

Robert Mugabe, the President of Zimbabwe, made his first public appearance on Friday at a graduation ceremony for students after being placed under house arrest. His presence at the event came as the Zimbabwean army announced that "significant progress" had been made in negotiations for Mr. Mugabe's resignation, with African leaders mediating in the discussions. According to the Associated Press, while the army is trying to maintain Mugabe's dignity by referring to him as President and Commander-in-Chief, it emphasized on Friday that it would continue to pursue and detain some of Mugabe's close associates and his wife. Army leaders stated in a communiqué that they are "interacting with Mugabe as the Commander-in-Chief" and will announce the results to the nation as soon as possible. The army's statement noted that "significant progress has been made in the operation to cleanse criminals surrounding President Mugabe." On the other hand, leaders of Zimbabwe's ruling party are considering forcing Mugabe to resign if he does not step down voluntarily. A senior member of the ZANU-PF party told Reuters on Friday, November 17, "If he remains stubborn, we plan to remove him on Sunday." This party member added, "Once he is removed, he will be impeached on Tuesday." According to this senior ZANU-PF official, "There is no way back for Mugabe." Robert Mugabe, who has led Zimbabwe since its independence in 1980, continues to insist on remaining in power. On Tuesday, the army took control of Zimbabwe in a "bloodless" action, claiming it was not a coup and that Mugabe remains President. This action occurred a week after Mugabe dismissed his deputy, Mnangagwa, and sent him into exile. It is reported that army generals are concerned that Mugabe may hand over power to his controversial wife, Grace. Currently, army forces are surrounding Mugabe's residence. Grace Mugabe is under house arrest, and Mugabe's political allies are also detained by the army. Reuters adds that Robert Mugabe is not very popular in Harare, the capital, which is considered a stronghold for the opposition. Since the collapse of Zimbabwe's economy in 2000, the popularity of the independence leader has waned. Mugabe confiscated white-owned farms in the late 1990s, plunging the country into crisis. The unemployment rate in Zimbabwe is nearly 90%, and the country experienced "hyperinflation" at one point, with unofficial reports indicating inflation rates reached 79.6 billion percent in November 2008. Currently, military vehicles are deployed throughout Harare, and people are going about their business as usual. Meanwhile, the Associated Press reports that the army is seeking to legitimize the transfer of power to gain the approval of the 16 countries in the Southern African Development Community and the African Union, as any sanctions from these countries would severely damage the already collapsed economy. A committee from the Southern African Development Community called for an emergency meeting on Thursday to discuss the situation in Zimbabwe.