Emmerson Mnangagwa to be sworn in as president of Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe's former vice-president is set to be sworn in as the second president of the country until the next general elections in 2018.
University of Zimbabwe’s students, holding a portrait of former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa, take part in a demonstration on November 20, 2017 in Harare, to demand the withdrawal of Grace Mugabe’s doctorate and refused to sit their exams as pressure builds on Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe to resign. Zimbabwe’s President faced the threat of impeachment by his own party on November 20, 2017, after his shock insistence he still holds power in Zimbabwe despite a military takeover and a noon deadline to end his 37-year autocratic rule. / AFP PHOTO / –
Mnangagwa will become Zimbabwe’s president when he is sworn in on Friday in the capital of Harare.
While he was in South Africa when news broke of Robert Mugabe’s resignation in parliament today, Mnangagwa is headed to Zimbabwe to officially take up the helm of the presidency.
According to SABC, ZANU-PF legal secretary Patrick Chinamasa has confirmed this after the resignation. ZANU-PF chief whip Lovemore Matuke also says that Mnangagwa will serve the remainder of Mugabe’s term until the next general elections, which must be held by September 2018.
READ MORE: What now after Mugabe resignation?
Mnangagwa was appointed Zanu-PF’s interim president on Sunday at a special committee meeting in which Mugabe was fired and his wife Grace was expelled for life.
Mugabe tendered in his resignation late this afternoon while parliament moved to impeach him as head of state. He had refused to resign on Monday and on Sunday when he addressed the nation during a televised segment.
Zimbabwe’s military effected a coup last week Wednesday which saw Mugabe detained under house arrest in his own home and his close allies arrested, assaulted and stripped of their positions within Zanu-PF.
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