Mugabe snubs resignation deadline - as it happened

Summary

President Mugabe failed to resign before deadline
Ruling Zanu-PF party said it would start impeachment proceedings
They accuse First Lady Grace Mugabe of usurping power
They also say the 93-year-old is too old to be physically capable
He has already been dismissed as leader of Zanu-PF party
His sacked deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa is now Zanu-PF leader
First Lady Grace Mugabe has been expelled from the party

Live Reporting

Dickens Olewe and Clare Spencer

Mugabe's key 'non-resignation' quotespublished at 00:22 Greenwich Mean Time 20 November 2017
Image source, AFP
Zimbabweans were glued to their TV screens to hear President Robert Mugabe’s speech. When he did not resign, some of those gathered in cafes and bar wept openly, the AFP news agency reports.
Flanked by military commanders and negotiators, the 93-year-old seems quite shaky as he began reading.
Here are some of the key quotes from what has been dubbed the non-resignation speech that lasted about 20 minutes - beginning with his appreciation that the army had intervened because of real concerns for the future of the country.
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I, as president of Zimbabwe, and their commander-in-chief, do acknowledge the issues they have drawn my attention to. And I do believe that these were raised in the spirit of honesty and out of deep and patriotic concern for the stability of our nations, and for the welfare of our people."
He said Zimbabwe rested on an unshakeable pedestal of peace law and order – and thus the army takeover had not been unconstitutional.
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The operation I have alluded to, did not amount to a threat to our well-cherished constitutional order, nor was it a challenge to my authority as head of state and government - not even as commander-in-chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces."
The president said internal spats within the ruling Zanu-PF and government had led to criticisms of their performance.
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Of greater concern to our commanders are well-founded fears that the lack of unity and commonness-of-purpose in both party and government was translating perceptions of inattentiveness to the economy."
As he was saying the government remained committed to improving the “social and material conditions of the people”, he was handed a new page by a military official and went on to say that a new development programme would be unveiled.
He then went on to talk about Zimbabwe as a nation that had had to fight for its independence and how the army commanders had raised the importance of those who fought in the war.
The Zanu-PF split has been seen as a generational divide, with the war veterans feeling alienated by First Lady Grace Mugabe's presidential ambitions.
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We still have, in our various communities, veterans of that founding struggle, who may have found the prevailing management of national and party issues quite alienating. This must be corrected without delay, including insuring that these veterans continue to play central roles in the lives of our nation."
Party discipline had to be maintained and a “sense of comradery” nourished between rival factions at the forthcoming Zanu-PF congress, he said.
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Our inter-generation conflict must be resolved through a harmonised melding of old established players, as they embrace and welcome new rules through a well-defined sense of hierarchy and succession."
He finished by calling for reconciliation.
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Given the failings of the past, and the anger this might have triggered in some quarters, such developments are quite understandable. However, we cannot be guided by bitterness, or vengefulness, both of which would not make us any better party member, or any better Zimbabweans."
The president ended by saying “I thank you and good night” and then apologised to officials around him for making mistakes whilst reading out the statement.
They responded by applauding him.
The big Mugabe 'bye-bye'published at 23:22 Greenwich Mean Time 19 November 2017
Zimbabwean Pastor Evan Mawarire, who led a social media campaign known as #ThisFlag last year denouncing President Robert Mugabe's handling of the economy, has called for Zimbabweans to gather at Africa Unity Square in the centre of the capital, Harare, on Monday and keep up a vigil until the president leaves office.
He tweeted the message using the hashtag #MugabeMustGo:
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The pastor backed a stay-at-home strike last year, which was one of the largest anti-government protests in years.
He was charged with subversion but later freed after a court dropped the case, although he's faced other charges this year because of his public criticism.
Impeachment to go ahead - Zanu-PF whippublished at 23:12 Greenwich Mean Time 19 November 2017
A Twitter account that monitors the media in Zimbabwe reports that the country's ruling party whip believes the impeachment process will go ahead as planned on Tuesday, when parliament is due to reconvene.
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Zanu-PF's chief whip Lovemore Matuke told the Associated Press the party's demand - that President Mugabe resign by 10:00 GMT on Monday or face impeachment - was unchanged:
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The Central Committee decision stands until I am advised otherwise."
'We need him to resign'published at 22:58 Greenwich Mean Time 19 November 2017
Shingai Nyoka
BBC Africa, Harare
Zimbabwe's embattled leader Robert Mugabe seems to have negotiated a deal on his own terms.
This was not the announcement that some Zimbabweans were waiting for. Mr Mugabe is still the president and it's not clear whether parliament will now begin its impeachment process.
People here today were expecting to hear the resignation they had demanded.
Some of those who had gathered to watch the speech in a bar told me of their disappointment:
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'We need him to resign' - Zimbabweans react to Mugabe statement
Mugabe 'agreed to resign but then didn't'published at 22:31 Greenwich Mean Time 19 November 2017
Image source, Reuters
Image caption,
Robert Mugabe met military commanders earlier today
BBC Africa editor Fergal Keane says a source close to the talks negotiating President Robert Mugabe's exit said the 93-year-old leader had agreed to resign but then changed his mind.
Our reporter told the BBC News at Ten he believes the generals have no intention of forcing him out by the barrel of a gun and they are going to be content to let the ruling Zanu-PF party carry out its procedures, working through impeachment in parliament if necessary.
The military is due to give press conference tomorrow morning, as is the powerful war veterans association, he added.
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My take is that this a pause, not a conclusion."
BBC Africa editor Fergal Keane
Zimbabweans 'just have to be patient'published at 21:35 Greenwich Mean Time 19 November 2017
In President Robert Mugabe’s first address to the nation since the military took control on Wednesday, he did not resign and said he intended to lead next month's Zanu-PF congress.
Zanu-PF MP Terence Mukupe told the BBC that seemed the correct course of action as everything had to be done “to the letter” and the congress was the proper place to ratify a new leader.
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So people just have to be patient and wait for the congress and at the congress it's going to be ratified.
Mr Mukupe told the Newshour programme on the BBC World Service that he was not afraid of a violent reaction to the president’s refusal to resign.
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You've seen Zimbabweans. I think because of the fact that probably we're too educated, and people will say that we've got the British culture and British mentality whereby we tend to be very ultra-conservative.
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If anything Zimbabweans are peaceful, you never find any other country in the world where you go through such a process and there's zero violence.
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You have to understand the nature and the culture of Zimbabweans, we're not a violent people, that will never happen.
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That's why you find over the weekend you had over a million people in the streets but zero, zero incidents of violence."
Speech swap?published at 21:00 Greenwich Mean Time 19 November 2017
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A video clip apparently showing papers being taken off the table in front of Mr Mugabe and surreptitiously placed on the floor between two army officers is being widely tweeted, including by Zanu-PF's UK representative Nick Mangwana.
Mr Mangwana asks whether it shows Mr Mugabe putting away the speech that he was supposed to read.
Why Mugabe still commands respectpublished at 20:59 Greenwich Mean Time 19 November 2017
Why political veterans like Robert Mugabe still command the respect and goodwill of their opponents.
Read More
MDC leader 'baffled by Mugabe speech'published at 20:44 Greenwich Mean Time 19 November 2017
Image source, EPA
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Morgan Tsvangirai called on President Mugabe to resign earlier this week
Zimbabwe's main opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who once served as President Robert Mugabe's prime minister in a unity government, has told the Reuters news agency he is "baffled" by tonight's speech.
Like other Zimbabweans, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader said he was expecting the 93-year-old leader to resign in the wake of the military takeover.
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I am baffled. It's not just me, it's the whole nation. He's playing a game. He has let the whole nation down."
Mugabe shocks Zimbabweanspublished at 20:41 Greenwich Mean Time 19 November 2017
Image source, AFP/Getty Images
Image source, AFP/Getty
Image source, EPA
Image source, AFP/Getty Images
Image source, AFP/Getty Images
Image source, EPA
A more dangerous stage?published at 20:36 Greenwich Mean Time 19 November 2017
Image source, AFP/Getty
The BBC's Andrew Harding in Zimbabwe suggests the army may now have taken Mr Mugabe's side.
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War veterans 'want impeachment'published at 20:32 Greenwich Mean Time 19 November 2017
Image source, AFP
Image caption,
Chris Mutsvangwa (C) celebrated President Mugabe's dismissal as Zanu-PF president earlier today
The head of Zimbabwe's influential war veterans' association, Chris Mutsvangwa, has told the AFP news agency that President Robert Mugabe is likely to be impeached after failing to resign this evening.
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That speech has nothing to do with realities.
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We will go for impeachment and we are calling people back to the streets."
The war veterans were once one of President Mugabe's most loyal supporters.
They spearheaded the invasion of white-owned farms starting in 2000 and have been accused of using election violence to keep Mr Mugabe in power.
But last year they withdrew their backing for him.
'Mugabe has no right to play ping pong'published at 20:25 Greenwich Mean Time 19 November 2017
Tendai Biti, a leading opposition politician and a former finance minister, has reacted angrily to Mr Mugabe's speech, calling it a "load of rubbish".
Mr Mugabe had "no right to play ping pong with our people," he said.
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Mugabe 'difficult to oust'published at 20:23 Greenwich Mean Time 19 November 2017
Dr Sue Onslow from the Institute of Commonwealth Studies in London told the BBC she watched President Mugabe's speech with "growing disbelief".
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This is going to be a very difficult president to oust from office.
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He has raised the stakes yet again, saying he wants to go in his own time and wants to preside over the party's congress, which is going to be held on 12th December."
She said he was making "gestures of being penitent" during his speech and "emphasising constitutionalism".
'I will preside' over party congresspublished at 20:13 Greenwich Mean Time 19 November 2017
Media caption,
Robert Mugabe fails to resign during live televised speech
Mr Mugabe vows to stay on and preside over next month's Zanu-PF party congress during his TV address, despite widespread speculation that he would announce his resignation.
'Obviously the endgame' for Mugabepublished at 20:10 Greenwich Mean Time 19 November 2017
Peter Longworth, a former British High Commissioner to Zimbabwe, has told BBC 5 Live that it is "obviously the endgame" for President Mugabe despite his failure to resign.
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But it doesn't surprise me that he's not giving up so easily.
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It's quite clear to me that when people have said to him - you must resign - he's told them to go to hell.
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And that of course has put the cat among the pigeons with the expectations of the people after the great demonstration and also the expectation and the hope of the army that he would actually go easily, so that they could continue with this charade of their action not amounting to a coup."
Mugabe 'playing for time'published at 20:08 Greenwich Mean Time 19 November 2017
Ibbo Mandaza, a Zimbabwean academic and author, gave the BBC his theory on why President Robert Mugabe did not resign tonight, despite intense pressure:
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I think that he is playing for time in my view... during which time he can get guarantees for his safety and that of his family.
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But for the meantime he is not resigning... and I don't think even the issue of impeachment will go ahead, given what he said."
Army takeover 'was constitutional'published at 20:04 Greenwich Mean Time 19 November 2017
Andrew Harding
BBC News, Harare
Image source, EPA
Image caption,
Zimbabweans were glued to the TV for President Mugabe's speech
In his stumbling 20-minute address, Robert Mugabe made no mention of the deafening calls from the public and from his own party to resign as Zimbabwe's president.
Instead, he implied he would remain Zimbabwe's leader at least until next month, when the ruling Zanu-PF party holds a congress.
"I will preside over its processes," said Mr Mugabe, calmly ignoring the fact that earlier today he was stripped of any official role in Zanu-PF.
The president did acknowledge failings in the party and government, and stressed the need to return Zimbabwe to "normalcy".
Flanked by senior generals, he claimed that the military, which seized power on Wednesday, had acted within the constitution.
Quite where this leaves the political stalemate here is unclear.
Zanu-PF has threatened to impeach Mr Mugabe if he doesn't resign by noon tomorrow.
Protesters may well return to the streets as well.
'I thank you, and goodnight'published at 19:55 Greenwich Mean Time 19 November 2017
A South African TV station has tweeted footage of the closing moment of President Mugabe's speech.
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Mugabe 'skipped pages of speech'published at 19:48 Greenwich Mean Time 19 November 2017
Zimbabwe newspaper publisher Trevor Ncube says President Mugabe's reign is over, despite his refusal to resign, and he is now likely to be impeached.
He says pages in the speech were skipped:
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