Mugabe will be removed as President today-sources

Robert Mugabe will be removed as Zimbabwe president, two sources from the country’s ruling Zanu-PF party have said.

The party will reportedly hold a special central committee meeting this morning to dismiss the 93-year-old as leader.

The meeting is due to start at 10.30am local time and is also set to see the removal of Mugabe’s wife, Grace, as head of the Zanu-PF Women’s League.

It was gathered Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was ousted by Mugabe earlier this month as Zimbabwe’s vice-president, will be reinstated.

The 93-year-old Mugabe has been under house arrest in his lavish ‘Blue Roof’ compound in Harare from where he has watched support from his Zanu-PF party, security services and people evaporate in less than three days.

On Harare’s streets, emotions ran high as Zimbabweans spoke of a second liberation for the former British colony, alongside their dreams of political and economic change after two decades of deepening repression and hardship.

These are tears of joy,” Frank Mutsindikwa, 34, said, holding aloft the Zimbabwean flag. “I’ve been waiting all my life for this day. Free at last. We are free at last.

I am happy today because Bob Mugabe is about to go. He must go. At least if he goes, we’ll have a change of president after so many years of injustice,” said Florence, a 34-year-old who declined to give her last name.

The United States, a long-time Mugabe critic, said it was looking forward to a “new era” in Zimbabwe, while President Ian Khama of neighbouring Botswana said Mugabe had no diplomatic support in the region and should resign at once.