Zimbabweans say prospect of Robert Mugabe downfall 'like Christmas'
HARARE, Zimbabwe — Thousands of people have taken to the streets in the capital, Harare, carrying national flags and dancing in anticipation of Robert Mugabe's resignation. Elated crowds gathered in the streets Saturday morning, with cars honking and people whistling and cheering.
Some carried posters with a picture of the military commander and the slogan, "Go, go our general!!!!" Other banners included slogans such as "Mugabe must leave Zimbabwe" and "Bob's not your uncle."
Local resident George Edwards told DW correspondent Privilege Musvanhiri that Mugabe was "a dictator" and that any change was good.
"This is a fresh start ... Anything else is a bonus. We just want a change," he said.
Zimbabwe’ state-run broadcaster says Mugabe will meet Sunday with the army commander who put him under house arrest. This will be the second meeting as their talks continue on the longtime leader’s departure.
Mugabe is said to be resisting efforts to step aside, according to the Associated Press.
More:Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe makes first public appearance since 'coup'
Related:What's next for Zimbabwe as uncertainty prevails over Mugabe's future
'Like Christmas'
"It's like Christmas," another marcher, Fred Mubay, told the AP.
Zimbabwe's state-run media has broadcast images of people protesting, which would not have been possible only a week ago. Similarly, the state-run Herald newspaper has run with the headline, "#Mugabe Must Go!" writing that "the revolutionary train derailed somewhere along the way."
Military backing
Soldiers also took to the streets on Saturday to show solidarity with the people, whipping up the crowds into a frenzy.
"We are happy our soldiers stood with us, the people. They must finish the good job to make sure Mugabe goes. We have been suffering," said Baliwe Sibanda, who was also taking part in the march. "We are so happy they freed us from the Mugabe dynasty."
In the working-class Harare suburb of Highfield, around 10,000 protesters gathered on a large sports field. Highfield was where Mugabe gave his first speech after returning from exile in Mozambique, before independence was declared in 1980.
"This is a great day for us. For 37 years we have had nothing to show for participating in the liberation war, while his family were living it large," said Sonia Kandemiri, a veteran of the Zimbabwean independence movement.
Live television pictures showed crowds marching toward Mugabe's official residence in Harare, after the secretary-general of the powerful war veterans group, Victor Matemadanda, told crowds to "deliver the message that grandfather Mugabe and his typist-cum-wife should go home."
Mugabe lives in a private mansion that is situated elsewhere.
International Reactions
South African President Jacob Zuma, speaking in Durban on Saturday, has said that the African region is firmly behind the Zimbabwean people. He also said he is cautiously optimistic that the situation can be resolved amicably.
On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that the people of Zimbabwe must now choose their own government through elections.
The president of the Ivory Coast, Alassane Ouattara, also spoke on Friday, saying that, "It is time for Mugabe to hand over his seat to a new generation.
Earlier in the week, British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson cautioned Zimbabweans: “Nobody wants simply to see the transition from one unelected tyrant to a next. No one wants to see that. We want to see proper, free and fair elections," he said in British parliament.
Mugabe under house arrest
The marches bring to end a tumultuous week in which army generals seized power, putting Mugabe under house arrest in a dramatic development for the president who has ruled since 1980.
The 93-year-old dictator did not step down after talks with the army chief on Thursday and sources allege that he is trying to "buy time" in order to negotiate a dignified end to his 37-year reign.
