Robert Mugabe Statement BBC News Special

I'm Ben Brown in the Zimbabwean

capital, Harare, where very shortly,

we're expecting the country's

veteran leader, Robert Mugabe,

to make a live TV address

and announce that he's stepped down

from the presidency.

ZBC have been trailing for the last

few hours that he is making an

address to the nation and there have

been reports that he is going to

resign. Writers have been saying he

has agreed to submit his resignation

as President. -- Reuters. But we're

still waiting to see whether that

happens. This afternoon, he has been

negotiating with generals here in

Zimbabwe. He has been discussing, as

he has done ever since that military

takeover on Wednesday, with them,

whether he should cling to office.

He has been trying to cling to

office. And here we are now, with

pictures from ZBC, a momentous event

now for the whole of Zimbabwe, will

he resign as President after 37

years? Or will he not? We are about

to hear from Robert Mugabe himself

at last. An extraordinary moment for

this country, the whole country

waiting and watching to see what

happens. He has already been deposed

by his own party. Will he go as

President?

C an now from Robert Mugabe. -- let

us hear now.

Fellows about wins. I --

Zimbabweans. I address you tonight

on the back of a meeting I held

today with the nation's security

forces command element. This

meeting, which was facilitated by a

mediating team, followed an

operation mounted by the Sinbad Way

defence forces -- Zimbabwe defence

forces in the week that has gone by,

and which was triggered by concerns

arising from the reading of the

state of affairs in our country and

in the rulings -- the ruling Zanu-PF

party. Whatever the pros and cons,

the way they went about registering

those concerns, I is the President

of Zimbabwe, and as 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

anti-patriotic concern for the

stability of our nation. -- deep and

patriotic concern. As I address you,

I am also aware of a whole range of

concerns which have come from you

all as citizens of our great

country.

Today's meeting with the command

element has underscored the need for

us to collectively start processes

that return our nation to normalcy.

So, all our people can go about

their business unhindered in an

environment of perfect peace and

security, assured that law and order

will prevail as before, and endure

well into the future. If there is

anyone, any one observation we have

made and drawn from events of the

past week, it is the unshakeable

pedestal upon which rests our state

of peace, law and order, amply

indicating that as Zimbabwe ends, we

are generally a peaceably disposed

people, and given to expressing

grievances and resolving our

differences by ourselves, and with

the level of dignity, discipline of

restraint so rare to many other

nations. This is to be admired.

Indeed, such traits must form the

pith of our personality and national

character. A veritable resource we

summon and draw upon in times of

vices are dudes. -- vicissitudes.

The opposition 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. To the man,

the command element remained

respectful. And comported with the

dictates and moors of

constitutionalism. True, a few

incidents may have occurred here and

there, but these are being

corrected. I'm happy that throughout

the short period, the pillars of

state remained functional. Even

happier for me and arising from

today's meeting in a strong sense,

is a strong sense of collegiality

and comradeship. This should redound

to greater peace and an abiding

sense of security in communities and

in our entire nation. Among the

issues discussed is that relating to

our economy, which as we all know is

going through a difficult patch. Our

great concern...

I beg your pardon. Of greater

concern is spats between

high-ranking officials in the party

and government, exacerbated by

multiple conflicting messages from

both the party and government, major

criticisms levelled against us

inescapable. Amidst all this,

flagship projects already adopted by

government stood stalled, or mired

in needless controversy. All this

now has to stop, as we inaugurate a

new work culture, and pace at which

will show a strong sense of purpose

and commitment to turning around our

economy in terms of our policies.

The government remains committed to

improving the social and material

conditions. Material conditions of

the people. The government will soon

unveil an entrepreneurial skills and

business development programme,

which will empower and unleash

gainful projects at our growth

points and growth areas.

Zimbabweans, we are a nation born

out of a protracted struggle for

national independence. Our rules

like in that struggle whose goals

and ideals must guide our present

and structure our future. The

tradition of resistance is our

collective legacy, whose core tenets

must be subscribed by all across

generations and across times.

Indeed, these two -- this also was a

great concern for our commanders,

who themselves were natives of that

revolution and often Bradbury tender

ages and at great personal peril. We

still have in our various

communities veterans of that funding

struggle. Who might have found that

the prevailing management of

national and party issues quite

alienating. This must be corrected

without delay, including ensuring

that these veterans continue to play

central roles in the lives of our

nation. We must all recognise that

their participation in the war of

liberation exacted lifelong costs.

Which whilst hardly repayable may

still be assuaged and ameliorative.

-- ameliorated. In respect of the

party, and the party issues raised

both by the commanders and by the

general membership of Zanu-PF, there

are also stand acknowledged. They

have to be attended to with a great

sense of urgency. However, I am

aware that as a party of liberation,

Zanu-PF has over the years written

elaborate rules and procedures that

guide the operations of all its

organs and personnel. Indeed, the

current criticism raised, raised

against the command element...

Raised against it by the command

element and some of its members have

a reason from well funding

perception that the party was

stretching or even failing in its

own rules and procedures. -- well

funded perception. The way forward,

thus, cannot be based on swapping,

or riding roughshod over party rules

and procedures. There has to be a

net return to the guiding principles

of our party, as enshrined in its

constitution. Which must apply

fairly and equitably in all

situations and before all members.

The era of victimisation and

arbitrary decisions must be put

behind. As we all embrace a new

ethos, predicated on the supreme

rule of our party, and nourished by

an abiding sense of camaraderie. To

all this must be general recognition

that Zanu-PF is a party of

traditions, and has been served by

successive generations who are bound

together by shared ideals and

values, which must continue to reign

supreme in our nation.

Intergenerational conflict must be

resolved through harmonised melding

of old established players, as they

embrace and welcome new rules, new

ones through a well-defined sense of

hierarchy and succession. Indeed,

all these matters will be discussed

and settled at the forthcoming

congress, within the framework of a

clear road map that seeks to resolve

once and for all any missions or

contradictions -- omissions that

have affected our party negatively.

The Congress is due in a few weeks

from now. I will preside over its

processes, which must not be

pre-possessed by any acts calculated

to undermine it, or to compromise

the outcomes in the eyes of the

public. As I conclude this address,

I am aware that many developments

have occurred in the party, or have

been championed and done by

individuals in the name of the

party. Given the failings of the

past, and the anger this might have

triggered in some quarters, such as

developments... Such developments

are quite understandable. However we

cannot be guided by bitterness or

vengefulness, both of which would

not make us any better party members

or any better Zimbabweans. Our

hallowed policy of re-conciliation

was pronounced in 1980, and through

which we reached out to those who

had occupied and oppressed us for

nearly a century. And those who had

traded fire with in a bitter war.

Surely they cannot be unavailable to

our own, both in the party and in

our nation. We must learn to forgive

and resolve contradictions, real or

perceived, in a comradely,

Zimbabwean spirit. I am confident

that from tonight, our whole nation,

at all levels, gets refocused as we

put shoulder to the wheel amidst the

promising agricultural season

already upon us. Let us all move

forward, reminding ourselves of our

wartime mantra. I think you, and

good night. -- thank U.

It is a long speech.

APPLAUSE

OK, thanks.

Robert Mugabe with an absolutely

extraordinary speech to the nation.

It was expected that he would

announce his resignation, but he has

not done that. It was a lawn and

typically rambling address to the

nation from Robert Mugabe. -- long.

He was flanked by some of the

generals he has been negotiating

with. It had been reported he would

announce his resignation, but he has

not done that. Let us take you

through a few of the things. This

was after a day of extraordinary

pressure on him, in which he was

dismissed by his own party, Zanu-PF,

and they then gave him an ultimatum

that if he didn't resign by midday

tomorrow, he was effectively going

to be forced out of office by an

impeachment process that will now

begin, because he is not going. He

talked about the military takeover

that there has been here, he said he

believed the takeover had been

undertaken out of honesty and

patriotic concern for the stability

of our nation. Slightly incredibly,

he said he did not believe that

military takeover was an attempt to

undermine his authority as head of

state. Not a challenge to my

authority as head of state, he said

that we cannot be guided by

bitterness or vengefulness, we must

learn to forgive and resolve

contradictions. That is move

forward. So, lots of generalities,

frankly a lot of waffle, to be

honest, from President Mugabe, he is

still President of this country for

the time being at least, but maybe

not for very much longer. He has

been deposed as party leader,

deposed as the leader of Zanu-PF,

but he is still technically

President until either he resigns

from office, which he has

steadfastly refused to do, against

all expectations, and despite the

pressure on him from the people with

their demonstration yesterday, with

the Army and from Zanu-PF itself, he

is staying put, it seems. Let us get

some reaction to that speech from

one of the people who demonstrated

yesterday here in Harare. She is an

offer and a neurosurgeon here. --

she is on offer. You might yesterday

demanding he stood done, what did

you think of that speech?

It is

interesting, for many of us who are

a little older, Mugabe came onto the

international stage in 1980 with an

incredibly eloquent speech, we will

-- we were very proud and it is

interesting he should go out of the

stage with and also eloquent speech.

But he hasn't gone out of the stage,

he hasn't resign.

We are entering a

post McGothigan Europe. Whatever the

speech was tonight, if you saw what

happened on the streets yesterday,

both at the war veterans' mass rally

and on the streets of Zimbabwe,

people were buoyant, we are entering

an area -- an era of inclusivity. We

can never go back.

By people were

reporting he would say in this

address on TV, I resign as

President, I resign out head of

state.

I think there is a tricky

element here, which is that on the

one hand there must be any

appearance of coercion on the part

of the military. And I think perhaps

flanked by the generals, resignation

may have been perceived by that way.

I think what is happening right now

in Zanu-PF is a political process

and a political solution. We are

entering a post-Mugabe era. I hope

Zimbabweans are not deflated by

this. They must know we have began a

process that will move forward.

But

they will be deflated because you

know that the expectation that was

raised with that demonstration here

that you took part in, they demanded

his resignation and they thought

they would get it tonight.

Like I

said, I think people will feel

deflated, but the spirit was

incredible, the demands where there,

but Zimbabweans are so patient, this

is our kind of coup, or not coup, it

is our kind of process and I really

don't think there is any doubt that

Mugabe will go.

Is he going to be

impeached now? That is what Zanu-PF

have said, if he doesn't go by

midday tomorrow, local time, the

Parliament will start impeaching him

straightaway.

I think that political

process has already begun. You have

ten out of ten provinces casting a

no vote, he was removed as head of

the party, it is just a matter of

another final hurdle before he is

impeached.

He is pretty stubborn,

all this pressure, and the party and

the army, the people and still he

will not go.

37 years of power, I

don't think it has even sunk in

psychologically, there was not real

cognition that he is no longer in

power. The military intervention, he

said, was not a challenge to his

authority. There is no sense of

that. I think the only way it will

come is through the political

process through Zanu-PF.

If I have

heard it said he really believes he

should die in office, die as

President, that is what he has

already assumed. He is just not

prepared to stand down.

We have 14

million people who deserve to have a

fresh voice, they deserve something

better. So it is not about what

Mugabe wants, to die in office, I

think the world would agree that is

a completely unrealistic

expectation. And our country cannot

be held hostage by the dreams of a

single human being.

If he doesn't

go, will people march again like

they did yesterday? We saw so many

people on the streets, there was a

euphoric atmosphere.

It was a

euphoric atmosphere. But winds have

lost their voice and they found it.

On the streets were blacks and

whites, farmers, maids, gardeners,

people from all stripes. It is not

necessary, I think, for us to march

again, I think the message has been

heard. People heard cars.

Mr Mugabe

didn't hear it you, it seems! Is a

-- people heard cars. Good to talk

to you. A demonstrator yesterday and

maybe a demonstrator again. Let's go

to Milton Nkosi. He is in

Johannesburg. I know you have met

Robert Mugabe down the years, you

have followed his career closely.

What do you make of this speech?

Pretty bizarre, wasn't it? Pretty

rambling. Anyone who was hoping he

won't resign, and it is very to say

there were millions who were hoping

that, will be disappointed.

Yes

indeed. I hate to say it, but last

time you and I spoke, I said this

guy will fight until the last drop.

They do not come top than this in

life. The writing is on the wall. If

military officers in fatigues

pushing the papers next to him, and

still there is no resignation.

Robert Mugabe will not give in until

he is impeached. There is no other

way now, it is quite clear that he

is holding the line, that he has

been holding all week.

So, Milton,

there was so much expectation, I

suppose. How disappointed do you

think ordinary Zimbabweans are going

to be, having heard this address

from President Mugabe after all the

heady atmosphere of a rally

yesterday, the drama of the military

takeover, the drama of Zanu-PF

stripping him of his party

leadership, and all of this in a

sense might be an anti-climax this

evening?

It is a colossal disappointment. I

think across not just Zimbabwe but

the African continent, and indeed

across the world, where people

thought that Robert Mugabe would do

the right thing, he has again stood

his ground and decided that he wants

to die in office. He's only got one

thing in mind. He's going nowhere,

as far as he is concerned. It was

quite interesting, just watching all

the people in the room. There was no

sign of Mrs Grace Mugabe, the person

who actually triggered the sequence

of events we have been following in

the last few days. She was nowhere

to be seen and I wonder where she

was watching this speech from. I

wonder if she had anything to do

with it, given that the president

did not resign, following all the

drama we saw today. Robert Mugabe is

still the president of the Republic

of Zimbabwe.

And what think next now for

Zimbabwe? Inevitable there will be

impeachment. We are hearing from the

war veterans leader, who has been a

leading voice in the campaign to get

rid of Mugabe that the impeachment

process will now begin, as promised

by Zanu-PF, who said if he hadn't

resigned by midday tomorrow,

impeachment would be inevitable. Is

that the way you see it?

There are

many options. Robert Mugabe is

hoping he will be presiding, as he

said, over the Congress when it

happens in December. But we know

that Zanu-PF members can't wait for

Tuesday, when Parliament reconvenes,

and that's where they will impeach

him, following their 12 o'clock

deadline on Monday. But also, we saw

that this whole progress was started

by the military. It is now the

chance that the people of Zimbabwe

to lead this process. I think the

military is slightly taking a back

seat here. They are not trying to

put the gun to the head of the

president, because they want this

constitutionally arranged removal

from power. So, if the people pour

out on the streets without being

urged by the military, that will be

a change of approach. But we know

that by midday tomorrow he will have

missed the deadline and impeach --

impeachment proceedings will begin.

In as far as the region is

concerned, they will continue with

their meeting in Rwanda. I think it

is even more important for President

Jacob Zuma to go to Rwanda to talk

about the crisis unfolding in

Zimbabwe.

Thank you very much, our

Southern African respondent. We can

now speak to a member of Zanu-PF,

the London representative.

Thank you for being with us. What is

your reaction to the news that he is

refusing to go, against perhaps many

people's expectations and hopes?

I

watched the speech with utter

disappointment. President Mugabe has

just rained on Zimbabwe's parade,

really. I think everybody, every one

of my compatriots is downcast,

pretty much heartbroken. I am very

sad, because what will happen from

here now is that humiliation of

President Mugabe, big-time

humiliation, which is something

throughout the week I was saying we

don't need. It is very sad, because

when the evidence of... When the

impeachment evidence comes, it will

be very, very embarrassing and

humiliating and we didn't need to

drag him through this mud but he has

asked for it. As far as he's

concerned, he will preside over

Congress in December. That is

ridiculous! Which Congress? As far

as we are concerned, he is no longer

president of our party. He is done.

The Central committee has made a

decision, he's gone. All ten of them

made the decision he has gone. Who

does he represent, or whose

interests, which constitutes does he

represent Christ on the military

says he has gone. At the moment they

are just holding on to the title of

Commander-in-Chief because... He

hasn't stepped down formally. But in

terms of authority, he doesn't hold

authority over anybody. All he has

is an office but absolutely no

authority. I don't know what he's

playing at. As far as Zanu-PF is

concerned, we have a new leader, the

leader appointed today, Emmerson

Mnangagwa. That is it. Come

Congress, Zanu-PF will confirm a new

leader. The nation has to do what it

has to do. Impeachment has to start

on Tuesday. The opposition and

Zanu-PF are agreed on this, the

president has to step down.

About

that impeachment... Just tell us,

how quickly do you think that

impeachment process will take? How

long will it take? Could he be gone

within a few days? What is your

estimate?

I think by the end of the

week. What has to happen is the

committee has to be set in place to

investigate the allegations, and

that it has to report back and then

people have to vote on it. That is

pretty much the process. It might

not happen overnight, it might take

a few days. It depends on the

cooperation of all the parties,

anyway.

Are you surprised that Robert Mugabe

has refused to resign? People have

always said he is a stubborn man,

he's a fighter, he's not the sort of

man who just gives in to pressure.

So in many ways, perhaps we

shouldn't have been surprised he

refused to resign.

In an interview

this afternoon those were my words,

he is a stubborn man, you cannot

second-guess him. When the address

was announced I thought, OK, he has

relented. But I think he is someone

who I think is going to fight to the

death. He can't do it himself. He

will be 94 in three months, 94

years, and you still want to fight

for your term to take it to 99,

100... Come on. You saw how he was

when he was giving that speech, he

was rumbling. We have tried to

respect, but even our African

mentality cannot take it this far.

We respect our elders and seniority,

but this time round I think... It is

testing Zimbabweans' patients,

testing all the patience of the

country.

I want to ask you, how

angry do you think Zimbabweans will

be? We saw that extraordinary

demonstration here in Harare

yesterday, so many thousands on the

streets, euphoric celebrations

because they thought a that it

effectively they had toppled him.

Will they be disappointed and also

angry? We're hearing there is a call

from the war veterans leader for

them to take to the streets again on

Wednesday.

I will start by talking

about myself. I am extremely angry,

so if my sentiments and my feelings

reflect that of many Zimbabweans,

it's even worse. I am so

disappointed. I represented his

interest here, I have defended him

all the way, and I expected this to

happen in a very dignified way, to

put a closure to what you could call

an illustrious political career. But

no, he's going to be remembered by

how he went, not by what he stood

for. This is the death of his

legacy, and we never hoped that this

day would come. We hoped to remember

him for certain things, look at the

positives and say, OK, he was a

human being, he made mistakes but he

was sincere. Yes, sincerely wrong,

but sincere all the same. Now this,

this idea of taking the whole

country with him to the grave is

wrong, absolutely wrong. There is no

justification for it on no excuse he

gives excuses he is going to

re-form, going to put the country

together, going to bring harmony in

his Cabinet. He can't do it,

because... This conflict within

government has been happening for

the last few years and most of them,

it was suspected that he was the one

engineering it. It's not going to

happen. So he has to go. He is not

the Zanu-PF leader, that's it.

When

he talks about the military takeover

that there has been not being a

threat to his authority as head of

state... I have to say, speaking

personally, it seems like he is

living in a parallel universe

because a military takeover was an

absolute threat to his authority as

head of state stop your absolutely.

What the military tried to do was to

say, OK, you have an infrastructure

which sustains your power. We want

to hold that infrastructure so that

people express themselves. So your

body can express itself, as well.

What we saw on Friday was the party

expressing itself through the

provinces in coordinating

committees. What we saw on Saturday

was the people of Zimbabwe

expressing themselves. And what we

saw today was the biggest organ of

the party and the most powerful

organ of the party expressing

itself. And against all that, what

we have seen just a few minutes ago

was President Mugabe remaining

defiant to his people, defiant to

his party, defiant to Zimbabweans

and only studied at defying the

military, his commanders, only

listening to himself. Himself and

the voices in his head, which is

very, very unfortunate.

OK, thank

you so much for your time and your

instant reaction to that speech from

Robert Mugabe, who is still

president of Zimbabwe against all

odds and all the expectations. He

has not said that he is resigning.

Let us move forward, he said, and he

didn't believe in his address. He

said the military takeover was in

any sort of threat to his authority.

Well, the calls for his impeachment

now are intensifying. We have

already heard from the War Veterans

Association, who organised the

demonstration here yesterday, that

the impeachment process will begin

pretty much straightaway as a result

of Mr Mugabe refusing to resign.

Let's listen to on X out of that

long, rambling television address.

... Generation conflict must be

resolved through harmonised melding

of old, established players as they

embrace and welcome new rules. New

ones through a well-defined sense of

hierarchy and succession. Indeed,

all these matters will be discussed

and settled at the forthcoming

congress, within the framework of a

clear road map that seeks to resolve

once and for all any omissions or

contradictions which have affected

our party negatively.

The Congress is due in a few weeks

from now. I will preside over the

process which must not be

repossessed by any acts calculated

to undermine it ought to compromise

the outcomes in the eyes of the

public.

That was just an excerpt of

President Mugabe's rather

extraordinary address to the nation

this evening, in what was billed by

some as the resignation speech of

Robert Mugabe, after 37 years in

power. It wasn't that. It was a

rather defiant speech. He is

clinging to office. His opponents,

and there are plenty of them in this

country, are now saying the

impeachment process will begin in

the Zimbabwean parliament, probably

on Tuesday. The two chambers of the

parliament will need a two thirds

majority in each chamber to impeach

him, to effectively kicked him out

of office. That process will begin

in the coming days. Let's get the

analysis now of a Zimbabwean

academic and author. We were talking

to you earlier on and you were

saying you didn't think he would

resign and you were absolutely

right, he hasn't.

Two things... First, people from the

outset insisted it wasn't a coup,

insisted Robert Mugabe was head of

state, throughout.

They want him to

go, to resign?

Ambivalence has

caught them out, in my view. The

second thing is you have the

individual chairman of the South

African Minister, meeting on Tuesday

in Angola. Yes, I think he is

playing for time.

He cannot survive

in office, surely, he is going to be

impeached?

I don't think so, I don't

think he will be impeached. I think

given what happened today, and our

suspicion is there where parallel

processes today, the meeting at

State house but also the Zanu-PF

central meeting. What he said today,

the emphasis that these special

congress would determine what

happens in the party means ipso

facto what happened today is null

and void.

We saw so many people here

yesterday on the streets,

demonstrating in huge numbers,

celebrating because they thought

they had got rid of Robert Mugabe

but they haven't. They are going to

be furious and they, angry?

We will

see. I think he is playing for time,

in my view. He is playing for time,

during which time he can get

guarantees for his safety and that

of his family. He can't stand out

for too long but in the meantime he

is not resigning. I don't think the

Central committee proceedings are

anything to go by. I don't think

even the issue of impeachment will

go ahead, given what he said. It

depends.

We have heard from the War

Veterans, the men who fought

alongside him in the war of

Independence. They are saying the

impeachment process will begin now,

because of that speech, because he

didn't resign.

That might be an

opinion. We have to ask the

military, the generals themselves.

With whom he agreed on the speech he

made. They were sitting there and

watching him. They went through that

speech together. So would the War

Veterans or anyone else there

overall what was said today?

Did

generals cannot be happy. They

launched this military takeover,

they want him gone, they want their

man, Emmerson Mnangagwa, to replace

Robert Mugabe. So far they have

failed in that objective, surely?

I

don't think there is a consensus

Emmerson Mnangagwa should come in. I

don't think so. I think in many

respects, the statement by Mugabe

might reflect the broad, a broader

discussion today to stop it might be

also...

People have always said he

is a stubborn man. Is this typical

Robert Mugabe?

Yes, for sure, for

sure. He will fight to the end,

that's how he is. Even though the

game is over. In my view, the game

is over. For us, most of us, we are

concerned about what happens after.

But I don't think there is much to

go.

This is typical Mugabe, you

would say?

Yes, typical.

Is it sad,

in some ways, to see a man of his

age, 93, refusing to bow out quietly

and maybe with a bit of dignity?

Yes, but also the point is people

are forgetting... The very people

who have been wanting him out, in my

view the coup took place in 2008.

When he lost the election,

Tsvangirai and Emmerson Mnangagwa

reinstalled him. He was playing with

danger anyway. He was never on his

own, ever. The guys who are sitting

there are the ones in charge of this

country, of the estate.

From the War

Veterans there has been a call for

more demonstrations on Wednesday, an

attempt to use people power of the

kind we saw yesterday, to try and

force him out of office. You don't

think that will be successful?

I'm

rather cynical, because these other

people... Never before. Three or

four days people were rather removed

from the scene, because they fear

the army. It required mobilisation

on Friday night to get them on the

streets. People are nervous. People

know, it's beginning to think now

that really they are dealing with

the same problems that they thought

was over.

What is the future for

Zimbabwe now, more generally? People

obviously had great hopes yesterday,

those hopes, have they been

dissipated?

I don't think so. On the

positive side, the Mugabe era is

over. That is the positive. It's how

we organise ourselves moving

forward.

Thank you. We are going to talk to

our Africa editor in a moment but

let me read Capcom the news that we

have had. We had that speech from

Robert Mugabe on television, on

Zimbabwean television, said BC,

which according to some reports said

he was going to resign. Reuters news

agency said he had agreed to offer

his resignation, but that turned out

not to be true. He is, as many

people have said for a very long

time, a pretty stubborn man. Our

Africa editor joins me now here live

in Harare.

An extraordinary speech in the end

from Robert Mugabe, and perhaps not

what we were expecting?

I don't

think anyone expected it. I think

the only person who didn't believe

Robert Mugabe was going to resign

his Robert Mugabe, and probably his

wife, Grace Mugabe. Having watched

what has happened over the last few

days here, you have had the people

on the streets yesterday in their

tens of thousands, the Central

committee, which he dominated for 37

years, ruling he should be removed

from the presidency of the party,

and setting in train threats to

impeach him by next Monday. And then

tonight, in spite of all of that, he

appears on television and he says, I

will preside over the party Congress

in December, in three weeks' time.

One has to stand back a bit from the

natural sense of deflation that you

get from members of the public, and

not just people who are members of

the opposition. What your previous

guest said, it is the end of the era

of Mugabe but he has managed,

probably by playing an international

card, probably by saying, look, it

is the policy of the African union

and the international community that

leaders are not removed by coups. He

has bought himself some extra time.

But does anyone believe, given the

strength of feeling in the party and

on the streets, that he is going to

end your as president of Zimbabwe

question not know. I'm willing in

terms of analysis to say no, that's

not going to happen.

You talked

about frustrated the people will be.

We saw people power on the streets

in Harare. A call from the War

Veterans to come back onto the

streets on Wednesday, but it doesn't

look like Robert Mugabe listens to

the people, certainly not the people

demonstrating yesterday demanding

that he goes.

It has never been his

style, Hadzic question not listening

to the people. That is not the kind

of politics... He is a graduate of

the revolutionary politics of the

50s and 60s, trained in Leninist

principles are power. You control

party organs and the military and

the security forces. The key is he

doesn't control any of those animal.

That's why I am saying to you, yes,

tonight is a big anticlimax for many

people who came onto the streets,

but it is not the end of the story

of Robert Mugabe's departure. When

you have the party calling for

people to come out on the streets,

they are potentially worrying

dynamics. All the excitement we saw

yesterday, all of those people who

believe change was imminent, that it

was going to come in a matter of

days, if not hours, when that is

brought onto the streets, it be

problematic.

One more question. Impeachment is

what he has been threatened with by

Zanu-PF. They say if he doesn't

resign by midday tomorrow, which are

clearly won't do, that is when the

impeachment process begins. Will

that get rid of him and how quickly

would it get rid of him?

Potentially

possible they might go ahead with

this. The other possibility is you

will get some kind of fudge. There

will be a lot of talking now between

the leaders of the military and the

other branches of the state security

forces. The War Veterans and the

party itself. Remember, the man we

haven't mentioned so far, Emmerson

Mnangagwa. The heir apparent that

the party wants to replace Robert

Mugabe. He is going to have eight he

say in whether that impeachment

process goes ahead or not. It is

still a very top-down party,

Zanu-PF. He is the new top. If he

decides, I can wait another few

weeks for this party Congress to

appoint me, I suspect the party will

fall into line. Whether the people

will is another matter.

Thank you

very much indeed. Fergal Keane with

the very latest. It has been another

extraordinary day here in Zimbabwe.

First of all, the day starting with

Zanu-PF's Central committee deposing

Robert Mugabe after 37 years as the

leader of the party. And then

issuing an ultimatum that if he

doesn't resign by midday tomorrow

local time, he would be facing

impeachment proceedings. He made

that TV address on Zimbabwean

television this evening and didn't

say he would resign. He is not going

that will disappoint many millions

of Zimbabweans. That is the latest

from here in Harare with the BBC

special coverage. Back to the

studio.

A good deal of sunshine today but

pictures like this are going to be

few and far between in the week

ahead. The sunshine that many of us

have enjoyed today is about to be

replaced by something cloudier,

milder and wetter. Our weather over

the coming week is going to be

coming in from off the Atlantic.

This is the next frontal system.

Ahead of it, some clear skies this

evening in the eastern side of the

country, meaning an early frost.

Eventually the cloud will build, Al

brings a rain heading into Northern

Ireland, northern England and

Scotland, where we will see some

snow on the mountains and some

outbreaks of rain in Wales and the

Midlands, but quite patchy. Cold in

Northern Ireland and Scotland, 4-5.

Much milder further south,

particular converter Reeson morning.

Quite a wet start the day across

much of northern England, northern

England and Scotland. Further south,

more cloudier and breezy but mainly

dry. A little bit of patchy rain but

look at the temperatures compared to

morning. Some outbreaks of rain in

East Anglia, and it will be slow to

clear here. A cool start the day.

Rain slyly easing from Northern

Ireland. It will take its time to go

from northern Scotland. Snow above

400 metres. The rains slowly clears

eastwards through the day that takes

its time to go from parts of

northern England, the Midlands and

eastern parts of England. The south

and West, some patchy outbreaks of

rain in the afternoon. Once that

rain clears, some brighter skies.

Much milder, 12-13, but still in

some colder air across Scotland and

Northern Ireland. There has been a

battle going on between the cold air

to the eastern something milder to

the west. In the coming days, that

milder air will generally win

through. It is quite unsettled.

This is the picture as they go into

Tuesday, another frontal system

pushing its way across,

strengthening the wind and bringing

some outbreaks of rain, mainly to

Scotland, Northern Ireland and

northern England in the morning,

arriving in Wales in south-west

England later. By and large, the

further south unease, holding onto

something drier. 12-14 for most of

us. Through much of us this week 's

wet and windy weather, driest for a

time in the south and east but all

of seeing something a milder.

This is BBC News.

I am Ben Brown reporting live from

Harare and the continuing crisis in

Zimbabwe. The news is that President

Robert Mugabe has made a televised

address in which he has refused to

resign. He vowed to stay on in power

until December, for the special

Congress of the ruling Zanu-PF

party. Against some expectations

that he would step down after huge

pressure and the military takeover

here last Wednesday, he did not say

anything about resigning and he did

not even refer to it. It was a long

and rambling speech. It will

disappoint many people in this

country who had marched against him

yesterday, taking to the streets in

their tens of thousands here in

Harare and also Bulawayo, amid

euphoric and joyful scenes because

protesters believed the Army had

finally toppled Mr Mugabe with his

takeover. But in his address, Mr

Mugabe said that military action in

Harare was not a threat to his

authority as Head of State. This is

what he had to say.

Intergenerational conflict must be

resolved through harmonised melding

of old established players, as they

embrace and welcome new rules. New

ones through a well-defined sense of

hierarchy and succession. Indeed,

all these matters will be discussed

and settled at the forthcoming

Congress, within the framework of a

clear road map that seeks to resolve

once and for all any other missions

or contradictions that have affected

our party negatively. The Congress

is due in a few weeks from now. I

will preside over its processes,

which must not be repossessed by any

axe calculated to undermine it. Or

to compromise the outcomes in the

eyes of the public.

That was Robert Mugabe addressing

the nation. There have been reports

on one news agency that he had

agreed to resign, but those turned

out to be erroneous. He has not and

many people have said for a very

long time he is a stubborn man and

so he has proved to be once again.

In response to that speech tonight

where he has refused to resign, the

leader of the war veterans who

fought alongside Mr Mugabe in the

War of Independence and liberation

has said the impeachment process

against the President must now begin

if he will not resign, and he called

upon people to take to the streets

again as they did yesterday, on

Wednesday, to demand his

resignation. This is his meeting

earlier today with the generals. The

military from the Zimbabwe defence

forces who launched this military

takeover against him last Wednesday.

These are the pictures from inside

Statehouse, the official residence.

The generals again trying to

persuade him to resign with some

dignity of his own free world, to

leave office. But they failed in

those attempts. And the alternative

does now look like impeachment,

which may begin on Tuesday in the

Zimbabwean Parliament. It would

require a two thirds majority vote

in both houses of the Parliament to

impeachment him as nobody knows how

long the process might take. That's

what our Southern Africa

correspondence, a long-time observer

who has met Robert Mugabe down the

years. We use surprised by his

refusal to stand down -- were you

surprised?

Well, in a general sense,

I was, but in the true sense, I was

not. Because Robert Mugabe, as we

have always known him, is a very

tough man. He does not give in

easily. There was no way, as far as

his history is concerned, he was

going to just voluntarily resign.

Given the events of the last week,

there was no way that he would

resign, having had meetings with the

Southern African development

community envoys sent by President

Jacob Zuma, two of them, the

Minister of defence, Minister of

intelligence, his own military

chiefs were there, who he has known

for years. He never gave an

instrument those negotiations. And

today, we saw that his party sacked

him as head of Zanu-PF. He still did

not give them. So quite clearly,

Robert Mugabe is still holding the

idea that he has always held before.

He wants to die in office. And we

know that many people, not just in

Zimbabwe, but across the region and

across the continent, are

disappointed by this no resignation

speech.

Yes, he is vowing to stay on at

least for a few weeks. He talked

about presiding over the Zanu-PF

Party Congress in December. Which is

extraordinary really since Zanu-PF

have just sacked or dismissed him as

their party leader today and given

him an ultimatum, where they said,

if you don't resign by midday

tomorrow local time, we are going to

impeach you, or Parliament is. It is

almost as if he is not to anybody.

Yes, and that is exactly the point.

President Robert Mugabe trusts his

own instincts, he trusts his own

thinking. He thinks that he is

correct and the rest of the people

wrong. And that is why he has not

listened to anyone in that room and

that is if they were telling him to

resign, and there has never been any

official confirmation of the

proceedings in those negotiations.

But remember, there is a tank parked

outside his house, he cannot go

anywhere as freely as he would like.

They only allowed to go to the

university for that ceremony. So we

are in a predicament here and that

is why this meeting that President

Zuma is going to attend in Rwanda on

Tuesday, in Angola, is important.

The region is trying to figure out

how to resolve the Zimbabwe crisis.

Everybody had hoped Robert Mugabe

would resign tonight, but that was

to be.

And the fact that it is not to be,

how disappointing will that be for

the people of Zimbabwe, particularly

the people who demonstrated in huge

numbers here yesterday? We saw the

euphoria, that is going to be

replaced now, one representative

Zanu-PF said he was heartbroken.

There is going to be heartbreak and

anger.

Yes, very much and that is

correct. For example, in South

Africa, there are millions of

Zimbabweans who are economic

refugees here and they would quite

like to go back home as soon as

things are normal and the economy

can grow again. Because they believe

part of the collapse of the economy

was created by the dictatorship of

Robert Mugabe. But also, remember,

there is this part of that community

that still respects Robert Mugabe

for the role he played in the

liberation struggle against white

minority rule. He was imprisoned for

ten years, he fought his way through

until Zimbabweans gained their own

independence in 1980. So there is a

section of people who still respect

him, it even though they want him to

step down so that their lives can

move on. And that is why we do not

have a Gaddafi moment today.

We don't have a Gaddafi moment and I

suppose maybe we have been writing

Robert Gabby's political obituary

today premature -- Robert Mugabe.

Let's be clear. Robert Mugabe has

reached a cul-de-sac. Whether he did

not resign tonight and he stays on,

it is quite clear that there is very

little room for him to move on now.

He is just showing his deep sense of

commitment to what he believes in.

He wants to stay in power. But there

is no way he can survive this week,

there is no way and Bob way can go

back to where it was last month, for

example. So he is in a difficult

place. I am sure you were wondering,

where was Mrs Grace Mugabe in those

pictures? We saw the military

officers. She triggered the sequence

of events we have been following for

the last few days. It was she who

made the military decide that they

are not going to support her

potential rising to the top job. She

was nowhere to be found today and we

are wondering where she was at this

crucial live TV speech.

Thank you very much for your

analysis. Our Southern Africa

correspondent. It was a long and

slightly strange speech from

President Macron to this evening.

Certainly not what most of the

nation and maybe the world were

expecting -- President Robert

Mugabe. He said the military

takeover was not a threat to his

authority as Head of State and he

talked about being around as head of

country for the Zanu-PF Congress in

December. This is what else he had

to say.

The way forward cannot be

based on swapping, vying cliques

that ride roughshod over party rules

and procedures. There has to be a

net return to the guiding principles

of our party. As enshrined in its

constitution. Which must apply early

and equitably in all situations --

fairly and equitably. And before all

members. The era of victimisation

and arbitrary decisions must be put

behind. So as we all embrace a new

ethos predicated on the supreme law

of our party.

That is Robert Mugabe with his

televised address this evening in

Zimbabwe, resisting the pressure on

him to resign that we have seen from

the military, from Zanu-PF, the

ruling party here who have sacked

him today as their party leader, and

from the people who have

demonstrated in the many thousands

out on the streets yesterday,

demanding that he resigned. Let's

talk to Doctor Sue Onslow who has

followed the career of Robert Mugabe

and sheets from the Institute of

Commonwealth studies in London.

Thank you very much. Are you

surprised that he has refused to bow

to all that pressure and he is

staying in the job, for now at

least, technically still President

of Zimbabwe?

I must admit, I

listened to his address with growing

disbelief, but thinking, he has done

it again. I was thinking at

lunchtime, this is going to be a

very difficult President to oust

from office and he has proved me

right yet again, I suppose, in that

particular respect. I thought it was

very interesting reading the press

statement by the Central committee,

the decision this morning, that he

has been dismissed as their leader,

but not expelled from the party. He

has raised the stakes yet again in

saying that he wants to go in his

own time and saying he will preside

over the special Congress which will

be held on the 12th of December. I

am going to be very interested

tomorrow to see whether they will

initiate proceedings which raises

the stakes yet again. But your other

point made reference to Grace

Mugabe. She has been expelled from

the party along with 19 other

members of the group. She has been

picked out as leader of the women's

league. In other words, she has been

removed from the equation,

completely and utterly. And going

through that long and rambling

speech, he was making gestures of

being penitent. And emphasising

constitutionalism, the party was

paramount. Unity was paramount,

learning from previous mistakes and

arbitrary decisions that might have

crept in here and there, he used

that phrase. So this is a man

listening to his own counsel and who

is a long-standing taskmaster of

political manipulation and

determined that he will go, if you

can, at a point of his own choosing.

Now, that is of course increasingly

constrained around him. Emmerson

Mnangagwa, having replaced Robert

Mugabe as President, first secretary

of the party, is he going to choose

this? He will go for the long game I

think and say, if we can wait

another couple of weeks, I would

think he is encouraging a

constitutional and rule-bound

procedure precisely because this is

within African union structures and

approaches.

They may want to abide

by the rules but the people out on

the streets demonstrating here in

Harare yesterday, they are going to

be hugely disappointed and angry.

There has been a call for another

big demonstration on Wednesday. You

just wonder how the anger is going

to be channelled after tonight.

That was my other thought

immediately, I listened to the

speech and I was in touch with my

co-author and I said, I think this

could get ugly. And that really

troubles me. Because as your

previous commentators said, the

hope, the euphoria, there was an

amalgam of euphoria and hope and

expectation, in that massive

demonstration and demonstrations

elsewhere. In London as well.

People's hopes riding high that

there would be a symbolic shift in

Robert Mugabe's departure and now

there is a sense among some quarters

of being cheated. Some say, yes, the

party is back United and moving

forward, I would say it is a very

complex surge of emotion is going on

in Harare right now.

Yes, and what about the impeachment

process? That is what is being

threatened by Zanu-PF, the party

that has dumped him as party leader.

They have said he will be impeached

because he will not resign. Do you

think Parliament will do that and

can do that and if they can, how

quickly can they do that?

Well, that was the message coming

through should he not resign, that

the Chief Whip Zanu-PF would

institute proceedings in Parliament.

And not only was there a decision to

purge the G-force Tielemans, but the

G-force T provincial party

structures of the state have been

removed and the team have been

reinstated, so there has been a

reconfiguration in Parliament. A

strong message sent by the party.

What I don't know whether they would

indeed decide to go for impeachment

or whether one of the key deals find

the scenes has been, OK, we will

allow YouTube reside over the

special Congress in December, which

will lead to the formal succession

choice, decided by the party,

because Robert Mugabe has always

said he personally could not

designate his successor. So it would

always be a party decision. And it

would seem to me that the

configuration of power in the Army,

also with Emmerson Mnangagwa in

conversation also with South Africa,

has been to play a slightly longer

game. But back to my earlier point.

The need is for speed of political

transition, the need for a stable

decision, and environment, so they

can start to address the economic

problems confronting Zimbabwe.

Thank you very much indeed. Doctor

Sue Onslow, from the Institute of

Commonwealth studies. Let's just

recap where we are on this

extraordinary day in Zimbabwe. After

those demonstrations we were talking

about on the streets yesterday, when

there was a mood of great euphoria

and a sense that people power had

managed to topple Robert Mugabe.

That was the thought of the

thousands of demonstrators who took

to the streets. Well, they have been

frustrated and disappointed. And

today, we had the Zanu-PF Central

committee, we had the extraordinary

news that they were dumping him as

party leader. And there was an

expectation when he made his speech

this morning on television, on ZBC,

that he would announce his

resignation. That was not to be and

he said he is staying until the

Party Congress next month. So at

least for EP weeks. Let's bring in

our Southern Africa correspondent in

Harare. You listened to that

extraordinary speech, rather

rambling at times from Robert

Mugabe. We use surprised he has

decided not to resign and he is

staying put, this is classic,

stubborn Robert Mugabe?

It was

baffling. Everybody expected one

thing and yet it is the choreography

now we're looking at. Why did he not

go then? His sense of himself, his

dignity, is clearly fundamental to

all of this. This is a 93-year-old

who could have gone longer know --

long ago and organised a succession,

how does he dig himself out of this

hole? We know that Zanu-PF, the

party, has already abandoned him

coming he knows that. Though the

night, perhaps it was about giving

the general is the all clear. He was

very explicit and he said at no

point had his own sense of himself

as the President been challenged.

That there was no breaking the

constitutional order. So he has

given them the all clear. We all

thought that was the moment he would

say, and so, after today's

extraordinary events and yesterday's

public marches, I will go. But

perhaps we are being too hasty.

Perhaps we need to see this either

as a staged event where perhaps in

the next day or two he will resign,

or maybe he will simply, stubbornly

push Zanu-PF to do what it has now

said it will do tomorrow. Tuesday in

particular. To start impeachment

proceedings. The thing about

impeachment proceedings, one

imagines a quick vote in Parliament

and he is out, but it will take a

bit longer and it could drag out for

days, if not longer. So he can buy

himself time. And he was very

specific tonight about wanting to

get to that Party Congress in

December. And saying, I will

preside. There was a little madness

almost because clearly, the reality,

the world has changed. In his bubble

which is also clearly, this bubble

of self-importance, of a man who has

never been challenged. In this

context, 437 years. Now he has got

to find way to explain to himself

that he has no power, at least in

the party left. Thank you very much

indeed.

Andrew Harding, our Southern

African correspondent. It seemed at

times that Robert Mugabe is living

in a parallel universe, especially

when he said the military takeover

was not a threat to his authority as

Head of State. But let's bring in

the representative in the UK

Zanu-PF, the party that has

dismissed Mr Mugabe as party leader.

What was your reaction when you

heard that speech, Mr Mnangagwa, and

you heard he is not going to resign?

I waited with bated breath, hoping

at some point the speech would take

a turn and I would think, OK, we are

getting there now. But as I

continued to listen, he was

basically saying, we have learned

lessons. Hello! You have learned

lessons for how long? After how

long? And to do what? Within what

time you have? And at what age? It

did not make sense. And also, the

fact that he completely ignored

today's events, ignored them or he

did not even know that he is no

longer the Zanu-PF leader. He is no

longer the first secretary and

President, somebody else has been

put in place of him. He is not aware

that over 200 members of his own

Central Committee, out of 300,

dismissed him. And he believed that

he could just walk into that

Congress and chair it and steer it

his way as he normally does. It was

like he is lacking awareness of

where he was and who was surrounding

him. Because totally, the pressure

from the commanders seemed to not

have brought any end results.

Nothing. So I don't know. But the

point still remains. It does not

change that President Robert Mugabe,

is he still is, is no longer the

President Zanu-PF, no longer the

first secretary of Zanu-PF. He will

not preside over the Congress that

is coming. And he was trying to

articulate his own agenda for that

Congress. He is not going to

articulate an agenda for that

Congress is the agenda has been set

by the Central Committee today,

which has nothing to do with the

issues he is raising. The issues

that are coming to the Zanu-PF

constitution, they have been set

today by the right Central

Committee. And we no longer have

that power he is trying to use to

impose well.

We're running out of time, but thank

you very much for your analysis.

From Zanu-PF, the Zanu-PF

representative in London. With his

analysis of what has been an

extraordinary speech from President

Robert Mugabe, and he is still

President Robert Mugabe, the oldest

Head of State still at the age of

93. He has refused to bow to

pressure from the people, from the

party, from the Army, for him to

resign. He is staying in office.

Stubbornly, some would say. But that

is the very latest from Harare. You

are watching BBC News.

It may have been a cold weekend, but

it ended on a final note for many

today, a lot of dry weather around

and sunshine as we can see from

these pictures from the Isle of

Wight to Orkney. A lot of cloud

moved into Western part of the UK so

that is going to wind out over

night. After a chilly start across

eastern parts, temperatures rise

tonight with the cloud moving in and

rein in Northern Ireland, Scotland,

Northern England, Wales and the

Midlands and East Anglia. Light and

patchy in Southern England. Still

some cold air in place in Scotland.

As the wet weather moves in, we will

see some snow. The hills, North of

the Central Belt, Bob 400 m and a

messy start to Monday across

Scotland with rain and heavy rain in

places. The higher you go, North of

the central bolt. Outbreaks of rain

in Northern Ireland, Northern

England and eastern England. For

much of Southern England, the

Midlands and Wales, the overnight

rain is light and patchy. But plenty

of cloud. Look how mild it is to

start the day! So different from how

Sunday started. On Monday, after a

wet start for some, gradually

turning drier. It takes a while to

get rid of the rein in Northern

England but it improves in the

afternoon, brighter breaks to the

East of high ground in the UK

possible. A lot of cloud through the

day. Patchy light rain and drizzle

into the afternoon in some spots.

Most of us will be milder but still

single figure temperatures in

Scotland. This is Monday evening, a

lot of cloud -- a lot of cloud,

patchy rain. The cloud moves through

Northern England and in the Scotland

through the night and into Tuesday.

Milder air eventually reaching

Scotland means any snow turning the

rain across most of the hills during

Tuesday. The wind is picking up

across the board and more rain

working South East across England

and Wales through Tuesday.

Temperatures higher even in

Scotland. But elsewhere, 12-14d. The

big picture Tuesday and Wednesday,

dominated by low pressure. The wind

is getting stronger. The second half

of the week quite turbulent. Low

pressure giving wet and windy

conditions at at times. This week,

it is turning milder with quite a

bit of wet weather around and

midweek, wet and windy.

Hello.

This is BBC News.

The President of Zimbabwe,

Robert Mugabe, clings

on to power after failing

to announce his resignation in

Flanked by military chiefs,

he said he intended to chair

the congress of the ruling Zanu-PF

party next month.

In doing so, he defied an ultimatum

by the party to resign by tomorrow.

The leader of Zimbabwe's war

veterans says plans to impeach

the 93-year-old will go ahead,

with demonstrations expected

on the streets of the capital

Harare on Wednesday.

In other news, police say

a postmortem examination carried out

on the body of the teenager,

Gaia Pope, hasn't identified any

injuries to suggest another person

was involved in her death.

More now on our top story,

in an extraordinary day in Zimbabwe,

President Robert Mugabe has NOT

resigned from power

despite pressure on him to do

so from within his own party.

At just after 7 O'Clock London time,

President Mugabe made

a televised address from his state

residence, flanked by military men.

And despite the widespread

speculation he was about to stand

down, he disappointed many by not

resigning and instead

said he intended to lead

next month's congress

of the ruling party, ZANU-PF.

Let's listen to that

speech in full now

.

Hello Zimbabweans. I address you

tonight on the back of a meeting I

held today with the nation's

security forces command element.

This meeting, which was facilitated

by a mediating team, from the

Catholic Church followed an

operation mounted by the Zimbabwe

Defence Forces in the week that has

gone by. And which was triggered by

concerns arising from their reading

of the state of affairs in our

country and in the ruling ZANU-PF

party. Whatever the pros and cons,

the way they went about registering

those concerns, I, as the President

of Zimbabwe and as their

Commander-in-Chief, do acknowledge

the issues they have drawn my

attention to. And do believe that

these were raised in the spirit of

honesty and out of deep and

patriotic concerns for the stability

of our nation. And for the welfare

of our people. As I address you, I

am also aware of a whole range of

concerns which has come from you all

as citizens of our great country.

Today's meeting with the command

element has underscored the need for

us to collectively start processes

that return our nation to normalcy.

So all our people can go about their

business unhindered in an

environment of perfect peace and

security, assured that law and order

is obtained and prevail as before

and endure well into the future. If

there is any one observation we have

made and drawn from events of the

past week, it is the unshakeable

pedestal upon which rests our state

of peace, law and order amply

indicating that as Zimbabweans, we

are generally a peacefully disposed

people and can express our

differences and exprus our

differences with ourselves and with

a level of dignity, discipline and

restraint so rare to many other

nations. This is to be admired.

Indeed, such traits must form the

peace of our national character and

personality. Yes, a veritable

resource we summon and draw upon in

troubled times. The operation I have

alluded to did not amount to a

threat to our well-cherished

constitutional order. Nor did it

challenge to my authority as head of

state and government. Not even as

Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe

Defence Forces. To a man, the

command element rebhaned respectful

and comported with the dictates of

constitutionalism. True, a few

incidences may have occurred here

and there but these have been

corrected. I am happy that

throughout the short period, the

pillars of state remain functional.

On lappier for me and arising - even

happier for me and arising out of

today's meeting is a strong sense of

collegiate and now the in the

various arms of our security

establishment. This should bring

greater peace and also an abiding

sense of security in communities and

in our entire nation. Among the

issues discussed, is that relating

to our economy, which, as we all

know is going through a difficult

patch.

Of great concern (inaudible)

operations of all importance.

(Inaudible)

... Between high rapging officials

in the party and in Government,

exacerbated by multiple conflicting

messages from both the party and

Government - high ranking officials,

made the criticisms levelled against

us inescapable. Amidst all this,

projects already adopted by

government stood stalled, needless

controversies. All this now has to

stopped as we inaugurate a new work

culture and pace which will show a

strong sense of purpose and

commitment to turning around our

economy in terms of our policies.

The Government remains committed to

improving the social and material

conditions of the people. Government

will soon unveil an entrepreneurial

skills and business development

programme which will empower and

unleash gainful projects at our

growth points and rural areas. Tell

all Zimbabweans we are a nation born

out of a protracted struggle for

national independence. Our rules lie

in that struggle, with goals and

ideals and present and construct our

future.

Core tennants must be subscribed by

all across generations and across

times. Indeed, these too was a great

concern of our commanders who

themselves were makers of that

revolution and often at very tender

ages and at great personal terror.

We still have in our various

communities veterans of that

founding struggle. We might have

founded the prevailing management of

national and issues quite

alienating. This must be corrected

without delay, including ensuring

that these veterans continue to play

central roles in the lives of our

nation.

We must all recognise that our

participation in the war of

liberation exacted life-Long costs,

which whilst hardly repayable, may

still be assuaged and

Amelliouraited. In respect of the

party, and the party issues raised

by both of the commanders and by the

general membership of ZANU-PF this

too stands acknowledged. They have

to be attended to with a great sense

of urgency. However, I am aware that

as a party of liberation, ZANU-PF

has, over the years, written

elaborate rules and procedures that

guide the operations of all its

organs and its personnel. Indeed,

the current criticism raised against

the command element - raised against

it by the command element and some

of its members. Have arisen from a

well-founded perception that the

party was stretching or even failing

in its own rules and procedures. The

way forward, that cannot be based on

swapping (inaudible) that ride

roughshod over party rules and

procedures. There has to be a net

return to the guiding principles of

our party, as enshrined in its

constitution, which must apply

fairly and equitably in all

situations and before all members.

The area of victimisation and

arbitrary decisions must be put

behind so as we all embrace a new

ethos, predicated on the supreme law

of our party and nourished by an

abiding sense of comrade Iry. --

comradery. To all there, there must

be general recognition that ZANU-PF

is a party of traditions. And has

been served by successive

generations who are bound to the by

shared ideals and values which must

continue to reign supreme in our

nation.

Intergenerational conflict must be

resolved through harmonised melding

of old established players as they

embrace and welcome new rules, new

ones through a well-defined sense of