Zimbabweans arrive for anti-Mugabe rally

People arrived early on Saturday (November 18) at a rally venue in Zimbabwe’s capital Harare, where thousands are expected to show support for a military seizure that could force President Robert Mugabe to resign.

Mugabe, at Zimbabwe’s helm since independence from Britain in 1980, faces the starkest challenge ever to his rule after the army seized power on Wednesday (November 15), saying it was targeting “criminals” around the nonagenarian leader.

The army appears to want Mugabe to go quietly and allow a transition to Emmerson Mnangagwa, whose sacking last week as vice president sparked the army action.

A goal of the generals is to prevent Mugabe handing power to his wife, Grace, 41 years his junior, who appeared on the cusp of power after Mnangagwa was pushed out. Mugabe, 93, who calls himself the grand old man of African politics, looks to be running out of options.