HARARE : Zimbabwe’s ruling party fired Robert Mugabe as its leader on Sunday and gave the 93-year-old less than 24 hours to quit as head of state or face impeachment, an attempt to force a peaceful end to his 37 years in power after a de facto coup.
Impeaching the president is the next step when Parliament resumes Tuesday, and lawmakers will “definitely” put the process in motion, the main opposition’s parliamentary chief whip told The Associated Press. “If Mugabe is not gone by Tuesday, then as sure as the sun rises from the east, impeachment process will kick in,” Gonese said.
Zimbabwe’s ruling party Central Committee fired longtime President Robert Mugabe as party leader on Sunday, saying that if he doesn’t resign as the country’s president by noon Monday they will begin impeachment proceedings when Parliament resumes the following day. Clinging to his now virtually powerless post, Mugabe was set to discuss his expected exit with the army commander who put him under house arrest days ago, in a second round of negotiations. But the world’s oldest head of state was increasingly isolated in his lavish mansion, with allies departing, arrested or, like his wife, now expelled from the ruling party.
A day after huge crowds rallied peacefully in the capital, Harare, for the 93-year-old Mugabe to go, members of the ruling party’s Central Committee stood, cheered and sang as Mugabe was recalled. Meeting chair Obert Mpofu referred to him as “outgoing president” and called it a “sad day” for Mugabe after 37 years in power.Me. Mugabe, the only leader Zimbabwe has known since independence from Britain in 1980, was replaced by Emmerson Mnangagwa, the deputy he sacked this month, a senior party official told a news conference.
In scenes unthinkable just a week ago, the announcement was met by cheers from the 200 ZANU-PF delegates packed into the party’s Harare headquarters to seal the fate of Mr. Mugabe, whose support has crumbled in the four days since the army seized power.
Mr. Mugabe’s 52-year-old wife Grace, who had harboured ambitions of succeeding her husband, was also expelled from the party, along with at least three cabinet ministers who had formed the backbone of her ‘G40′ political faction. Speaking before the meeting, war veterans’ leader Chris Mutsvangwa said Mr. Mugabe was running out of time to negotiate his departure and should leave the country while he could.

“He’s trying to bargain for a dignified exit,” he said. He then followed up with threat to unleash the mob onto Mr. Mugabe if refused to go, telling reporters: “We will bring back the crowds and they will do their business.” Moments after the vote was taken to remove Mr. Mugabe, the delegate hall erupted in applause.
“The President is gone. Long live the new president,” Mr. Mutsvangwa, who has led an 18-month campaign to remove Mr. Mugabe shouted, according to cellphone footage posted online. Mr. Mnangagwa, a former state security chief known as “The Crocodile,” is now in line to head an interim post-Mugabe unity government that will focus on rebuilding ties with the outside world and stabilising an economy in freefall.
On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people flooded the streets of Harare, singing, dancing and hugging soldiers in an outpouring of elation at Mr. Mugabe’s expected overthrow. His stunning downfall in just four days is likely to send shockwaves across Africa, where a number of entrenched strongmen, from Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni to Democratic Republic of Congo’s Joseph Kabila, are facing mounting pressure to quit.
Cde Mpofu said President Mugabe’s wife Dr Amai Grace Mugabe and her close associates had taken advantage of the First Secretary’s frailty due to his advanced age to usurp his powers and to loot the country’s resources. The party accused the first lady of “preaching hate, divisiveness and assuming roles and powers not delegated to the office.” She was removed as head of the women’s league. The party’s decisions will be formalized at a special congress next month.

Meanwhile Journalists stormed the meeting for a briefing  after hearing celebratory  ululations  from the auditorium. Indications are that the Central Committee  is going to recall President  Mugabe as the party‘s First Secretary  while reinstating former Vice President  Emmerson Mnangagwa as the Second Secretary.ournalists have been called in for briefing.  There is jubilation in the auditorium as people dance to ‘Jah Prayzah’s Kutonga kwaro’ (With Agency Inputs ).