The long succession battle in Zanu-PF has come to a bitter and sudden end — with a twist very few Zimbabwean citizens would have dared to imagine. Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s ruler of nearly four decades, was forced to resign in shame on Tuesday after growing pressure from the public and his rejection by Zanu-PF, which removed him as party head on Sunday. His wife, Grace, who had been under house arrest at their Harare mansion, was told by soldiers to "stay in the kitchen" as the military besieged their residence and moved to sideline the woman who thought she would be the next president. The military, represented by army commander General Constantino Chiwenga, has emerged as the poster boys of the victory. As the dust begins to settle, it is clear the soldiers have pushed out Mugabe, ended Grace’s presidential ambitions and became the king makers of the Zanu-PF succession battle. Mugabe’s allies, the group known as G40, had gone head to head in the race for the presidency with anothe...
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