0:00:10 > 0:00:12Hello, I'm Ros Atkins, this is Outside Source on the day
0:00:12 > 0:00:13Robert Mugabe resigned.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16He's led Zimbabwe for 37 years - but with parliament
0:00:16 > 0:00:18about to impeach him, the President jumped
0:00:18 > 0:00:21before he was pushed.
0:00:21 > 0:00:27And joyous celebrations followed.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30They are dancing in the streets of Harare tonight -
0:00:30 > 0:00:34releasing years of pent up frustration at Mugabe's
0:00:34 > 0:00:36increasingly autocratic rule.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38This is the man likely to take over.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41Two weeks ago Emmerson Mnangagwa was sacked as vice president.
0:00:41 > 0:00:47In the next 48 hours we expect him to become President.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50Plus the long-time opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai tells the BBC
0:00:50 > 0:00:56what should happen to the man he's fought for years.
0:00:57 > 0:01:07I think let him go and rest will stop I do not feel any ill will.
0:01:18 > 0:01:19Robert Mugabe's Presidency is history.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23As members of Zimbabwe's parliament began debating
0:01:23 > 0:01:26whether to impeach the President - the Speaker of Parliament
0:01:26 > 0:01:34interrupted - he had a letter of resignation to read.
0:01:34 > 0:01:44I, Robert Mugabe, under the Constitution of section one in
0:01:44 > 0:01:50Zimbabwe, tender my resignation as the president of the Republic of
0:01:50 > 0:01:53Zimbabwe with immediate effect.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57Mr Mugabe's letter said his decision was taken to allow a smooth
0:01:57 > 0:01:59transition of power - and that it was voluntary.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02Voluntary's one word for it - unavoidable is another.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06Mr Mugabe refused to resign after last week's military takeover.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08He refused to resign after mass protests at the weekend.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10He refused to resign when he was sacked by his
0:02:10 > 0:02:12own party on Sunday.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14And he ignored a deadline to go on Monday.
0:02:14 > 0:02:19He even called his normal cabinet meeting for Tuesday.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22But there's nothing normal about this Tuesday.
0:02:22 > 0:02:27The pressure told and his 37 years as President ended.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30And look at these pictures from Harare as the news
0:02:30 > 0:02:33started to spread.
0:02:33 > 0:02:38This was inside the parliament.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42You can see people punching the air, clapping and singing. Some people
0:02:42 > 0:02:46even started dancing.
0:02:46 > 0:02:52This was outside.
0:02:52 > 0:02:57People poured out onto the streets to celebrate the departure of a man.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00And on streets all over the city - and the country.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04People have been celebrating.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07The tanks are hugely significant, we don't know if we would go to this
0:03:07 > 0:03:14point if they had not intervened last week.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16Reuters news agency reports that Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa -
0:03:16 > 0:03:18the former and briefly exiled vice-president - will be sworn
0:03:18 > 0:03:22in as president on either Wednesday or Thursday,
0:03:22 > 0:03:24They say he will serve until the next election
0:03:24 > 0:03:28due by September 2018.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31Let's be clear - Robert Mugabe has his supporters in Zimbabwe -
0:03:31 > 0:03:32and across Africa.
0:03:32 > 0:03:38Here's one of his party's MPs.
0:03:38 > 0:03:43It came as a surprise, but it was also quite sudden. What was
0:03:43 > 0:03:47interesting that when the letter was read out, only half of the house was
0:03:47 > 0:03:53actually celebrating. Almost every Zanu-PF MP was actually in tears. A
0:03:53 > 0:03:58lot of people were crying. We still love our leader and we did not want
0:03:58 > 0:04:01our leader to go out this way because it felt like things could
0:04:01 > 0:04:07have been done in a much better way.
0:04:07 > 0:04:12Ben Brown has been covering this story all day. Then, is the party
0:04:12 > 0:04:16still going?It is still going! I think it will be going on all night.
0:04:16 > 0:04:21Let's just paint a quick picture of where we are. He can see lots of
0:04:21 > 0:04:29people singing and dancing and they had pain been since that
0:04:29 > 0:04:39announcement. -- they have been. This was a day they never thought
0:04:39 > 0:04:43they would see. Let's just talk to one of the crowd. What is your
0:04:43 > 0:04:47reaction? How do you feel about the news that Robert Mugabe has
0:04:47 > 0:04:58resigned?To be honest with you we are too excited. I think we should
0:04:58 > 0:05:07only get excited with the answer to change. Yes, he has resigned, but
0:05:07 > 0:05:13INAUDIBLE May they not be selfish so that we
0:05:13 > 0:05:25as Zimbabweans can get a better economy, social and economic change.
0:05:25 > 0:05:33Can we change together?URL happy man?I am very happy. In fact all
0:05:33 > 0:05:43the days of my life I have been waiting for this day. It helps us to
0:05:43 > 0:05:50keep Zimbabwe precious and I think we are the best.Thank you. What an
0:05:50 > 0:05:55incredible day here in Harare. An incredible moment in Zimbabwean
0:05:55 > 0:06:02history. After 37 years, no one thought Robert Mugabe would just
0:06:02 > 0:06:06resign. He was under intensifying pressure ever since that military
0:06:06 > 0:06:11takeover. He was under pressure from the Army. He was under pressure from
0:06:11 > 0:06:16his own political party. Zanu-PF. And he was under pressure from the
0:06:16 > 0:06:22people here. But it was only when those impeachment proceedings began
0:06:22 > 0:06:26in the parliament behind me that he finally decided to throw in the
0:06:26 > 0:06:34towel, give up and resign. Back to you in the studio.Thank you.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36Hundreds and hundreds of people still out on the streets. Let's
0:06:36 > 0:06:41consider what has happened. Nancy Kacungira is the presenter of focus
0:06:41 > 0:06:46in Africa. It has been a curious affair. A coup d'etat that wasn't
0:06:46 > 0:06:49quite a coup d'etat. A political compulsion of a president but not
0:06:49 > 0:06:54his party. What you make of it? Cheery as is the word and already
0:06:54 > 0:07:00there are suggested movie post is going around to this saga. Because
0:07:00 > 0:07:06it does play out like a movie. This is a reign of 37 years that has
0:07:06 > 0:07:10unfolded in two weeks. This all started when Emmerson Mnangagwa was
0:07:10 > 0:07:14fired as vice president and that was that when we got the first wind that
0:07:14 > 0:07:17something was afoot. A warning was sent to President Mugabe that he was
0:07:17 > 0:07:21going down the wrong path. Of course, now we know that this can
0:07:21 > 0:07:28all be down to the move Grace Mugabe was making to become his successor.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32That is when things began to unravel. Even when the military
0:07:32 > 0:07:36stepped in, they were very categorical saying this is not a
0:07:36 > 0:07:42two-day car, we're asking him to do the right thing and step aside. --
0:07:42 > 0:07:53coup d'etat. And he does not resign. He actually says he will have a
0:07:53 > 0:07:55cabinet meeting to address some of the things that have been brought to
0:07:55 > 0:08:00his attention. So, it has not unfolded in the way anyone expected.
0:08:00 > 0:08:05Many thought that he would only leave when he died.Had we
0:08:05 > 0:08:09understand that a man who is an all these years building a power
0:08:09 > 0:08:12structures suddenly looked around and found it wasn't there any more?
0:08:12 > 0:08:19There are different theories about that. One is the power structure
0:08:19 > 0:08:22that held in place in the first place and they only removed him
0:08:22 > 0:08:26because it wasn't suitable for them any more to continue having him in
0:08:26 > 0:08:31power. That is one theory. But the other theory is that no one saw this
0:08:31 > 0:08:38coming. That the military didn't intend to stage a coup, they just
0:08:38 > 0:08:43intended to stage a warning.Really? Like I say, is just a theory that is
0:08:43 > 0:08:46out there. But no one is really quite sure how we got to this point.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50But a lot of people are happy that it got to this point and that
0:08:50 > 0:08:55changes come to Zimbabwe.What do the other African nations in the
0:08:55 > 0:08:59African union make of all this? After all, it is not the most
0:08:59 > 0:09:04obvious of democratic transitions. I'm willing to bet my socks, and I'm
0:09:04 > 0:09:11not wearing any! Every group in Africa is talking about this in some
0:09:11 > 0:09:15shape or form. There are some in Uganda and Kenya, all over the
0:09:15 > 0:09:21place, everyone is talking about this. In so many dimensions, this is
0:09:21 > 0:09:23historic. People are drawing comparisons with their own countries
0:09:23 > 0:09:30and I am leaders. Lessons are being drawn about the trajectory that the
0:09:30 > 0:09:35continent is taking. Coming on the heels of so many long serving
0:09:35 > 0:09:38leaders in one way or another leading power, many people feel that
0:09:38 > 0:09:43a wave of change, is maybe not sweeping across the continent, but
0:09:43 > 0:09:53at least lapping on the shores. Nettie, stay with us. -- Nancy. Send
0:09:53 > 0:09:56questions our way and she will help as answer them.
0:09:57 > 0:09:58So what happens now?
0:09:58 > 0:10:00The political crisis was sparked by the sacking of this man -
0:10:00 > 0:10:01Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04He fled the country - but he's now expected
0:10:04 > 0:10:08to become President - perhaps as soon as tomorrow.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10He knows plenty about the man he's replacing.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12He was once Mr Mugabe's bodyguard.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15He's also served as security minister.
0:10:15 > 0:10:22Here are some Zimbabweans on the prospect of him taking over.
0:10:22 > 0:10:27At the moment we are not worried, as long as it is not Mugabe. We will
0:10:27 > 0:10:31see what is to come for us. We are going to vote next year, we want
0:10:31 > 0:10:36elections. From there we will choose what we want. Mugabe is gone
0:10:36 > 0:10:43forever.We are free, great kudos to General Chiwenga. These are great
0:10:43 > 0:10:48people that did a great job to see and make sure that he went.We have
0:10:48 > 0:10:53to ensure that from this day forward we will push the democratisation
0:10:53 > 0:10:58agenda. We will push our Constitution and it will be amended
0:10:58 > 0:11:03so that those superpowers that the president has in the constitution
0:11:03 > 0:11:06will be limited. That is what we need going forward. We need a leader
0:11:06 > 0:11:08not a ruler.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10There are concerns about what will follow.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12The British satirical show Have I Got News For You makes
0:11:12 > 0:11:13a point many have raised.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16A Tweet from @haveigotnews "President Mugabe resigns in order
0:11:16 > 0:11:19to finally clear the way for a new era of corruption
0:11:19 > 0:11:21and vicious power struggles."
0:11:21 > 0:11:24And this is from the South African online news site
0:11:24 > 0:11:26the Daily Maverick - "Beware crocodile Mnangagwa -
0:11:26 > 0:11:28Zanu-PF is not renewing, it is a snake shedding
0:11:28 > 0:11:32its old skin."
0:11:32 > 0:11:34Also, worth noting that Mr Mnangagwa played
0:11:34 > 0:11:37a controversial role as the country's spy
0:11:37 > 0:11:39master during the internal conflict of the 1980s.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42He's accused of being responsible for the deaths of thousands
0:11:42 > 0:11:47of civilians in a part of Zimbabwe called Matabeleland -
0:11:47 > 0:11:57that's a claim he's always denied.
0:11:57 > 0:12:04The point is we can't say this guy is a clean break.Know we can't. He
0:12:04 > 0:12:08has been at his side since the beginning. He is been a minister
0:12:08 > 0:12:11since the 1980s in some shape or form. Some of the things he is
0:12:11 > 0:12:17accused of doing, asides Matabeleland, is being very involved
0:12:17 > 0:12:22in reading elections in favour of Mugabe. This is the kind of
0:12:22 > 0:12:25chequered history that people are very concerned about.Helping
0:12:25 > 0:12:29understand why no one seems to be focusing on the fact that he is
0:12:29 > 0:12:34about to become president and that potentially could not be the
0:12:34 > 0:12:40euphoric moment that Zimbabweans Mark?As one of the Zimbabwean
0:12:40 > 0:12:44journalists followed treated, he said give us a break and give us a
0:12:44 > 0:12:47moment, let us just enjoy this moment that many of us thought we
0:12:47 > 0:12:53would never see. Mugabe is famously known for saying that only divine
0:12:53 > 0:12:55intervention will remove him from power. That is he would only leave
0:12:55 > 0:12:59when he died will stop it turned out that it was military intervention
0:12:59 > 0:13:04and a lot of people are processing that still. They never thought this
0:13:04 > 0:13:07moment would come. So they are enjoying that before they think
0:13:07 > 0:13:12about what is next.I guess the fact that there are already elections
0:13:12 > 0:13:15scheduled for September next year helps, because it is not too long
0:13:15 > 0:13:19until everyone gets a say in what is happening.There is an end in sight.
0:13:19 > 0:13:25A lot of people are happy to say we will take Emmerson Mnangagwa until
0:13:25 > 0:13:31we can get stability and an election, hopefully a free, fair and
0:13:31 > 0:13:33democratic election in 2018. That is what people are hoping for. They
0:13:33 > 0:13:38hope will be enough pressure on Emmerson Mnangagwa to not be Robert
0:13:38 > 0:13:47Mugabe.Thank you. Nancy presents Focus On Africa. In a few minutes we
0:13:47 > 0:13:54will turn away from Zimbabwe because we will hear about the Syrian leader
0:13:54 > 0:13:59visit to Vladimir Putin and how those efforts are close to be done.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01We will look at that.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11Northern Ireland's border is being used as a bargaining chip in the
0:14:11 > 0:14:15Brexit negotiations according to the leader of the DUP, Arlene Foster.
0:14:15 > 0:14:22She has accused Ireland and the rest of the EU are being callous and that
0:14:22 > 0:14:25this -- careless and reckless. She says she is ready to move the talks
0:14:25 > 0:14:29forward.I am accusing them of being reckless, because if you listen to
0:14:29 > 0:14:33some of the rhetoric, nobody understands negotiations probably
0:14:33 > 0:14:40better than I. People come out and try and push agendas forward and we
0:14:40 > 0:14:45do recognise that we are a critical phase because I certainly want to
0:14:45 > 0:14:48see the negotiations moved to the second phase so that we can talk
0:14:48 > 0:14:52about those issues of trade and the issues that will make a difference
0:14:52 > 0:14:55in relation to the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of
0:14:55 > 0:15:03Ireland. It is almost a false battle because the detail will come about
0:15:03 > 0:15:14when we're talking about the trade issues.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17This is Outside Source live from the BBC newsroom.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19Our lead story is...
0:15:19 > 0:15:21He's led Zimbabwe for 37 years - but with parliament
0:15:21 > 0:15:23about to impeach him, the Robert Mugabe jumped
0:15:23 > 0:15:25before he was pushed.
0:15:34 > 0:15:44Moving away from Zimbabwe. Vladimir Putin and Assad has had a meeting.
0:15:44 > 0:15:49It is the first time they have seen each other since 2015 and a lot of
0:15:49 > 0:15:53happened since then. In particular, Russia's military intervention in
0:15:53 > 0:15:58Syria on the heart of the Syrian Government. Mr Putin says he does
0:15:58 > 0:16:02want a political solution to the war. He is also talking about
0:16:02 > 0:16:06Russia's main mission being almost accomplished. Heels are added,
0:16:06 > 0:16:10things to the Russian army, Syria has been saved as a state. Not
0:16:10 > 0:16:15everyone would agree with that analysis. Assad spent four hours on
0:16:15 > 0:16:20Russian soil and this image has been widely shared of them sharing and
0:16:20 > 0:16:24embrace. Vladimir Putin almost looking eternal as he holds
0:16:24 > 0:16:29President Assad. To analyse this we have ten to two Outside Source
0:16:29 > 0:16:38regulars.Unfortunately we don't know what is happening in Vladimir
0:16:38 > 0:16:42Putin's head. That is the skill that is needed and wanted by many people
0:16:42 > 0:16:48around the world. Russia, and especially Cuban want to show
0:16:48 > 0:16:54Russian progress in Syria. -- Vladimir Putin. Many analysts say he
0:16:54 > 0:16:57wants to finish this campaign before the next presidential elections in
0:16:57 > 0:17:04March next year.And also to remind Assad how crucial he is to the
0:17:04 > 0:17:10Syrian government.Judging by the photo we have all seen, Assad knows
0:17:10 > 0:17:15how much he owes Vladimir Putin. It is what they discussed on ricin
0:17:15 > 0:17:19social media as well in other countries. -- Russian. No one on the
0:17:19 > 0:17:23official Syrian side disputes the role that Russia has played in that
0:17:23 > 0:17:29conflict.Sebastian, Russia has undoubtedly change the situation in
0:17:29 > 0:17:32Syria. Would you agree with the analysis that it is safe the Syrian
0:17:32 > 0:17:39state? Yournot as the conflict started, as it mutated and went on
0:17:39 > 0:17:46and became essentially a series of battlefields without a clear plan or
0:17:46 > 0:17:55structure from the opposition rebel side. When Islamic State entered. It
0:17:55 > 0:17:58almost follow the lines that President Assad said right at the
0:17:58 > 0:18:02start, that without him, terrorism will come in. There are also the
0:18:02 > 0:18:07reason why that happened. President Assad himself with instrument when
0:18:07 > 0:18:12that, quite possibly. What the Russians did saved him. It prevented
0:18:12 > 0:18:15the other outcome which might have been that the rebels would have
0:18:15 > 0:18:19defeated him or at least have enough of a territory to put him in a very
0:18:19 > 0:18:23difficult position. That has been changed. That narrative essentially
0:18:23 > 0:18:29has proved to be true but it is truth in a way that has been
0:18:29 > 0:18:34manipulated to be true. But you can't say it now, the US, France,
0:18:34 > 0:18:39the Western world are very much onlookers in the way Russia has
0:18:39 > 0:18:48mulled this, the Iranians have more than this. -- moulded this.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52President Assad has shown how beholden he is to President Putin.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56He doesn't look as though she is going anywhere. Will the US and
0:18:56 > 0:19:01France still be demanding that he does not continue.If Russia were to
0:19:01 > 0:19:07draw back Sebastian, that would leave President Assad with some
0:19:07 > 0:19:10significant enemies within Syria. His problem in military terms has
0:19:10 > 0:19:14aways been that his army is not strong enough. Not strong enough to
0:19:14 > 0:19:18hold onto the places he took. Now, there is not a strong enough
0:19:18 > 0:19:21opposition against him, not strong enough rebel groups to challenge.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25There are areas the south of the country where there are attempts,
0:19:25 > 0:19:28through the Russians, there is a summit for example which is
0:19:28 > 0:19:35happening tomorrow. President Putin with the Turkish and Iranians
0:19:35 > 0:19:39attending it and they can discuss these deconstruction zones to stop
0:19:39 > 0:19:56fighting in each area. That would dent allow the Russians... -- D you
0:19:56 > 0:20:00have occurred, what will happen to them? Backed by the US, will they
0:20:00 > 0:20:08pull back of a league Syrian government go after them.The
0:20:08 > 0:20:12Russians had to fight for once again, so the Syrian army is
0:20:12 > 0:20:20definitely entirely motivated.It is not strong enough, but it Islamic
0:20:20 > 0:20:23state has no ability to hold onto towns and villages in the country,
0:20:23 > 0:20:26they are not able to challenge the Syrian Government in that way, it
0:20:26 > 0:20:31was only really Islamic State that could mount a challenge to the
0:20:31 > 0:20:41Syrian government troops. And their allies.Back to the resignation of
0:20:41 > 0:20:48Zimbabwe leader. This article runs down the arguments are him being a
0:20:48 > 0:20:52hero or villain. If you take the later view, one of the things set me
0:20:52 > 0:20:56that he is blamed for is ruining them but I's economy. This is a
0:20:56 > 0:21:08tweet from the Financial Times... Let's look at some of those grass
0:21:08 > 0:21:11from the Financial Times. This one interesting, it shows the GDP per
0:21:11 > 0:21:20capita of a lot of African countries and then the same countries in 2016.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24The obvious example that jumps out here is Zimbabwe. Look at the
0:21:24 > 0:21:29figures from 1997 and look at the degree to which the economy has
0:21:29 > 0:21:32shrunk in those intervening years. We also have a lot of statistics to
0:21:32 > 0:21:39tell you. In 2011, 20 1% of people were estimated to be living in
0:21:39 > 0:21:46extreme poverty, less than $2 a day. 47% were living on less than $3 a
0:21:46 > 0:21:50day. And on and on the statistics go. They are from the World Bank by
0:21:50 > 0:21:56the way. Also, Zimbabwe's biggest trade union said that unemployment
0:21:56 > 0:22:01is around 90%. This is the view of one economist today who says that
0:22:01 > 0:22:07Zimbabwe is running out of the money it needs to pay its debts.As we
0:22:07 > 0:22:12speak, the Zimbabwean economy only has less than one month of import
0:22:12 > 0:22:18cover for international reserves. The international benchmark is 3-4
0:22:18 > 0:22:23months of import cover, bit of the severe liquidity crisis that has
0:22:23 > 0:22:26faced the economy, it is up to the point that there is virtually no
0:22:26 > 0:22:33money to support the payment coming in. You have had people who
0:22:33 > 0:22:39ordinarily would have transacted business stepping back a little bit
0:22:39 > 0:22:42because they are just not too sure when they will get paid and they are
0:22:42 > 0:22:46not too sure if they will get paid at all and they can take the money
0:22:46 > 0:22:53outside of the economy.Nancy is still here. Robert Mugabe and his
0:22:53 > 0:22:57colleagues would say part of these problems would be down to how we
0:22:57 > 0:22:59were treated by the international community.That is one big argument
0:22:59 > 0:23:06of theirs. That, if everybody had not abandoned us, if sanctions were
0:23:06 > 0:23:09not imposed, if we were able to trade freely and continue to do
0:23:09 > 0:23:14business, we would not have these problems without currency, with
0:23:14 > 0:23:20unemployment, with being able to export and trade. Again, this is
0:23:20 > 0:23:24what they used to lend credence to their actions in terms of giving
0:23:24 > 0:23:29land back to the people, the way they put it. And taking back the
0:23:29 > 0:23:35country, so to speak. In that way, they can make arguments that their
0:23:35 > 0:23:38economic performance has been linked to the way they have been sanctioned
0:23:38 > 0:23:43against.Whatever the rights and wrongs of what has happened, to be
0:23:43 > 0:23:47blunt about the future, they'll be some countries and companies that
0:23:47 > 0:23:52see today as part of a big economic opportunity.That is absolutely
0:23:52 > 0:23:55true. Already we have seen Government saying that we are
0:23:55 > 0:23:58willing to support Zimbabwe and work with a new Zimbabwe. This is when
0:23:58 > 0:24:04the rubber hits the road, because we'll will start to see in the
0:24:04 > 0:24:07coming days, weeks, months and years how much of this is a systemic
0:24:07 > 0:24:11problem. People on the street are saying now I can get a job and have
0:24:11 > 0:24:14an opportunity. But it will take more than getting rid of President
0:24:14 > 0:24:20Mugabe to fix a system that might be completely broken all very broken.
0:24:20 > 0:24:25It will be up to the next leader to fulfil those very high expectations
0:24:25 > 0:24:30on the street with this very realistic world that deals with hard
0:24:30 > 0:24:35currency that Zimbabwe does not have enough of.Lest we forget that
0:24:35 > 0:24:39Robert Mugabe's party remains in power, it has a president and
0:24:39 > 0:24:44majority in the lower and upper house. It has tried to put distance
0:24:44 > 0:24:48between itself and Mr Mugabe. But in reality, how much was Mr Mugabe
0:24:48 > 0:24:57dictating what Zanu-PF stood for? This is the very question. He
0:24:57 > 0:25:01perhaps the situation in the last two days might tell us about that.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05The economic situation is not new to Zimbabwe. We have been talking about
0:25:05 > 0:25:12this a very long time. In 2008 hyperinflation hit... It did not
0:25:12 > 0:25:18make Zanu-PF say wait a minute, we need to disarming about this. Many
0:25:18 > 0:25:22said though that they could not take Grace Mugabe is the successor. That
0:25:22 > 0:25:26will give a lot of people pause to think, is this going to be a change
0:25:26 > 0:25:32or is this just about a palace coup? IV factions in Zanu-PF now fighting
0:25:32 > 0:25:39against each other only to continue the same system. It is a sobering
0:25:39 > 0:25:42thought but a thought in many minds as the celebrations go one.It has
0:25:42 > 0:25:51been quite a day.Yes it has. Remember, much more information on
0:25:51 > 0:25:57Zimbabwe coming up in the second half of Outside Source, and on the
0:25:57 > 0:26:01BBC news app, I will be back in a few minutes time.
0:26:11 > 0:26:17It is time we updated you on a number of stories from right across
0:26:17 > 0:26:21the world, and we will start off in Canada and the USA. Two areas of low
0:26:21 > 0:26:24pressure will provide different conditions over the next few days.
0:26:24 > 0:26:29One in the west, wet and mild, and one of the Hudson Bay, something its
0:26:29 > 0:26:32way towards eastern Canada will eventually produce a real taste of
0:26:32 > 0:26:36winter. But in the short-term, Wednesday again looks to be another
0:26:36 > 0:26:40wet and windy affair for the western side of Canada and the Pacific
0:26:40 > 0:26:43Northwest of the USA. Several hundred millimetres of rain could
0:26:43 > 0:26:55fall here before this event
0:26:56 > 0:26:59goes away it will be around for one or two days yet. It is a radical
0:26:59 > 0:27:02ahead of that low pressure on the eastern side of Canada as the cold
0:27:02 > 0:27:05air comes down. There will be some lake effect snow and we will keep a
0:27:05 > 0:27:08close eye on that. After a quiet start to the week in Florida it
0:27:08 > 0:27:10could end on a wet night. Also in South America, but across this
0:27:10 > 0:27:12diagonal to the western side of Colombia, and again anywhere along
0:27:12 > 0:27:15that route could see 50-100 millimetres of rain falling in 24
0:27:15 > 0:27:20hours. No problems across the New Zealand, high-pressure selling
0:27:20 > 0:27:23things of the rest of the week, one of two showers around. There will be
0:27:23 > 0:27:27showers from the start of the Test match, England versus Australia, the
0:27:27 > 0:27:32start of the Ashes in Brisbane could be affected by the showers. We have
0:27:32 > 0:27:36already seen more than showers across Indonesia. There is an
0:27:36 > 0:27:40enhancement of this monsoon that has caused real issues. The frontal
0:27:40 > 0:27:45system has worked through Japan by Thursday, letting in cold air which
0:27:45 > 0:27:49is already there across the Korean peninsula and widely across China.
0:27:49 > 0:27:54These temperatures, many should be several degrees higher. Rain has
0:27:54 > 0:27:58been a real issue across south-east Asia since the weekend. 200
0:27:58 > 0:28:02millimetres falling on Vietnamese coast and widely through Malaysia
0:28:02 > 0:28:05down towards Singapore, we're expecting more rain to come after a
0:28:05 > 0:28:14bright spell. Some of that came from near India. It moved through
0:28:14 > 0:28:17south-east Asia across the Bay bangle and maybe become another
0:28:17 > 0:28:22storm. We will keep you posted on that. By our eyes those temperatures
0:28:22 > 0:28:26look higher, but the north-western corner of India and across the board
0:28:26 > 0:28:30into Pakistan is on the cold side for the time of year both by day and
0:28:30 > 0:28:33night. We are about to see a drop in temperatures across the northern
0:28:33 > 0:28:39areas of the Middle East. These northerly winds will follow one
0:28:39 > 0:28:43behind this feature in the Gulf that will put a dent in these
0:28:43 > 0:28:45temperatures, quite widely across the north of the Middle East. No
0:28:45 > 0:28:49such problems in the short term here in the British Isles for most of us.
0:28:49 > 0:28:54We picking up our hair way down in the Atlantic, mild and moist to say
0:28:54 > 0:29:01the very least. -- air. More on that in just a few minutes.
0:30:12 > 0:30:13Hello, I'm Ros Atkins, this is Outside Source,
0:30:13 > 0:30:16on the day Robert Mugabe resigned.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19He's led Zimbabwe for 37 years - but with parliament
0:30:19 > 0:30:21about to impeach him, the President jumped
0:30:21 > 0:30:23before he was pushed.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27And celebrations followed.
0:30:33 > 0:30:38They are dancing in the streets of Harare tonight -
0:30:38 > 0:30:40releasing years of pent up frustration at Mugabe's
0:30:40 > 0:30:41increasingly autocratic rule.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45This is the man likely to take over.
0:30:45 > 0:30:47Two weeks ago Emmerson Mnangagwa was sacked as vice president.
0:30:47 > 0:30:51In the next 48 hours we expect him to become President.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53Plus the long-time opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai tells the BBC
0:30:53 > 0:31:03what should happen to the man he's fought for years.
0:31:03 > 0:31:07I don't have any ill will at all.
0:31:21 > 0:31:29Lots of reaction to this as you'd imagine.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32The UK Prime Minister Theresa May released this statement.
0:31:50 > 0:31:52And this is British Foreign Minister.
0:31:52 > 0:31:55Of course, we have to wait and see exactly how this unfolds.
0:31:55 > 0:31:59But at first sight, this is a moment of hope for Zimbabwe.
0:31:59 > 0:32:01For 37 years, they have been languishing under
0:32:01 > 0:32:04the rules of a despot who has impoverished their country.
0:32:04 > 0:32:08What we hope now is that this will be a turning point,
0:32:08 > 0:32:13a moment when they can go forwards to free, fair, democratic
0:32:13 > 0:32:16elections next year, and that is what we will be
0:32:16 > 0:32:18encouraging, together with the rest of our friends
0:32:18 > 0:32:23and partners in the region.
0:32:23 > 0:32:27That was the foreign minister of Britain -
0:32:27 > 0:32:32Britain has a long history with Zimbabwe, it was the colonial power.
0:32:32 > 0:32:37In terms of the country investing at the moment, it is China.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40Here's the analysis of an expert from the Chatham House think tank
0:32:40 > 0:32:43on how events are being seen in Beijing and how the two
0:32:43 > 0:32:45nations became so closely linked in the first place.
0:32:45 > 0:32:53It comes from the liberation war for the independence of Zimbabwe from
0:32:53 > 0:32:58Rhodesia. Zanu-PF, the party of Mr Mugabe tried to cosy up with the
0:32:58 > 0:33:03Soviets at the tail end of the Cold War, but they weren't interested so
0:33:03 > 0:33:08in 1979 they went to China, who supported the gorilla warfare of
0:33:08 > 0:33:14Mugabe's rebels.Why did China do that?There was Cold War wive
0:33:14 > 0:33:25already with the Soviets too -- wive already. -- rivalry.It was
0:33:25 > 0:33:29initially about ideology and mature progress but as the years went by it
0:33:29 > 0:33:36became more about the economy.It's not about ideology at all now. A
0:33:36 > 0:33:43little bit about why worry with the West because the European Union and
0:33:43 > 0:33:46the West imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe so the Chinese in response
0:33:46 > 0:33:54stepped up their engagement with Mr Mugabe -- a little bit about
0:33:54 > 0:33:59rivalry. It is about a fundamentally and the extraction of natural
0:33:59 > 0:34:06resources. The main export of Zimbabwe is tobacco but also
0:34:06 > 0:34:10diamonds and there is a mining industry in Zimbabwe, platinum and
0:34:10 > 0:34:15other things which I think in the long term the Chinese will be
0:34:15 > 0:34:20interested in.Is it part of China's wider plan to expand its influence
0:34:20 > 0:34:25in China?Yes, it's part of that but that's not overestimate the
0:34:25 > 0:34:31importance of Zimbabwe for China. It isn't like Angola, the second or
0:34:31 > 0:34:38third largest source of oil, it isn't like others, it isn't a
0:34:38 > 0:34:42strategic country for China and I think some of the reporting has been
0:34:42 > 0:34:47misplaced in making it seem so.Will it be poring over every detail of
0:34:47 > 0:34:53what happens after Mr Mugabe or will China be relaxed?Not at all, there
0:34:53 > 0:34:57has been a convergence of what the British and Chinese government wants
0:34:57 > 0:35:05in Zimbabwe, the rule of law, stability, enabling business
0:35:05 > 0:35:07environment for investment. Diversions would be the government
0:35:07 > 0:35:12and human rights but the rule of law and predictability of institutions
0:35:12 > 0:35:17is common ground for both, both want to see commercial progress which is
0:35:17 > 0:35:24what the people within Zanu-PF want too. They want progress, the economy
0:35:24 > 0:35:28is in an appalling situation and drastic measures need to be taken,
0:35:28 > 0:35:34hence the pressure for Mugabe to leave.There is a sense that the
0:35:34 > 0:35:37Chinese are making more progress than the Americans in expanding
0:35:37 > 0:35:42their influence in Africa, is that accurate?Over the last 15 years the
0:35:42 > 0:35:47Chinese have significantly scaled up. There are between one and two
0:35:47 > 0:35:55Chinese on the continent, a significant number and over the last
0:35:55 > 0:35:576-8 months, the Chinese have increased their military footprint
0:35:57 > 0:36:01including significantly at the end of last year they are opening a
0:36:01 > 0:36:07military base in the Horn of Africa in Djibouti. The base is now open.
0:36:07 > 0:36:11Who would have imagined a couple of years ago they would have that? Now
0:36:11 > 0:36:13they do.
0:36:13 > 0:36:19A number of Zimbabweans contacting us, one watching on BBC News assay
0:36:19 > 0:36:23that the majority of Zimbabweans do not like China. We can't say that is
0:36:23 > 0:36:27a scientific assessment of public opinion but there is evidence that
0:36:27 > 0:36:31many Zimbabweans have reservations about how close the Chinese got to
0:36:31 > 0:36:38the Mugabe government. There is a tweet about the issue of sanctions.
0:36:38 > 0:36:48Before that, a statement from the US Embassy in Harare.
0:36:48 > 0:36:50"The path
0:36:50 > 0:36:53forward must lead to free, fair, and inclusive elections,
0:36:53 > 0:36:56in which the people of Zimbabwe choose their own leaders".
0:36:56 > 0:36:57Barbara Plett Usher is our correspondent
0:36:57 > 0:37:02in the State Department.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05Forgive me for being bland, but I wonder how interested the State
0:37:05 > 0:37:11Department is in Zimbabwe -- for being blunt.I spoke to officials
0:37:11 > 0:37:15from the African Department and they were very interested, quite excited
0:37:15 > 0:37:19actually, saying that we must seize the opportunity. For those who have
0:37:19 > 0:37:24been watching Africa for years, we think wow we must move forward
0:37:24 > 0:37:29otherwise the historic opportunity will be lost. You had statements
0:37:29 > 0:37:33from the Secretary of State talking about an historic opportunity,
0:37:33 > 0:37:37saying whatever the short-term arrangements, they want this to be
0:37:37 > 0:37:40changed and a transition to democracy, so there must be
0:37:40 > 0:37:45political and economic reform. Not just manipulation by Zanu-PF and a
0:37:45 > 0:37:52rush to elections but a proper process over the long-term. It is
0:37:52 > 0:37:56not the main focus of the state Department or policy as we've seen
0:37:56 > 0:38:01over the last years but there is a strong African contingent looking at
0:38:01 > 0:38:04it with great interest and hoping it will be a door opening to real
0:38:04 > 0:38:11change.This question has come in from a Zimbabwean watching on the
0:38:11 > 0:38:13BBC News Channel, asking what reforms the West will be interested
0:38:13 > 0:38:20in seeing before they lift the sanctions? Can you help on that one?
0:38:20 > 0:38:26They say that to lift the sanctions there must be a free and fair
0:38:26 > 0:38:28election, freedom of expression, face for people to exercise
0:38:28 > 0:38:34political freedoms and various points of respect for human rights,
0:38:34 > 0:38:38rolling back on those violations. They are the kind of things they are
0:38:38 > 0:38:42looking for in order to lift the sanctions. It must be said that the
0:38:42 > 0:38:48US gives a fair amount of money to Zimbabwe anyway in humanitarian aid,
0:38:48 > 0:38:54$220 million a year, but that is given to NGOs and community groups.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57Officials say that if they could have government to government
0:38:57 > 0:38:59relations, they could make a big difference because they could get
0:38:59 > 0:39:03involved in education and helping to train young Zimbabweans for the job
0:39:03 > 0:39:11market. That involves government to government interactions which aren't
0:39:11 > 0:39:18possible when the sanctions are in place.If the Americans were minded
0:39:18 > 0:39:22to change their policy, how quickly could they move on their position on
0:39:22 > 0:39:28Zimbabwe?It would have to be with regards to what happens on the
0:39:28 > 0:39:33ground politically. I don't think they would move before the election,
0:39:33 > 0:39:37they would want to see what kind of government was in place and whether
0:39:37 > 0:39:47it met their standards.Thank you for joining us. Elections are
0:39:47 > 0:39:56scheduled for 2018. A lot of coverage of the resignation.
0:39:56 > 0:39:58There is full coverage on the latest
0:39:58 > 0:39:59developments in Zimbabwe.
0:39:59 > 0:40:00Just head to bbc.com/news.
0:40:00 > 0:40:07There is a plethora of analysis.
0:40:07 > 0:40:11Through his 37 years in power Robert Mugabe was accused of human rights
0:40:11 > 0:40:19abuses and oppression. In 2001, the human rights activist Peter Tatchell
0:40:19 > 0:40:27attempted a citizens arrest of Mr Mugabe. He did that when he was
0:40:27 > 0:40:33visiting Brussels. This is what happened.You are under arrest on
0:40:33 > 0:40:39charges of torture and the United Nations Convention against torture.
0:40:39 > 0:40:43Peter Tatchell is with us here on Outside Source. Only a short clip,
0:40:43 > 0:40:47what happened after that?I was beaten unconscious by President
0:40:47 > 0:40:52Mugabe's bodyguards which I think exemplifies the brutality of his
0:40:52 > 0:40:58regime. His bodyguards did that to me in broad daylight in the heart of
0:40:58 > 0:41:02the European capital city in front of the world's media. Everyone said
0:41:02 > 0:41:06to themselves, if he does that in those circumstances, imagine what
0:41:06 > 0:41:11he's doing to his own people when no one is watching?What were the
0:41:11 > 0:41:13consequences in terms of the countries hosting Mr Mugabe
0:41:13 > 0:41:18reacting?Neither the British nor the Belgian governments were willing
0:41:18 > 0:41:23to take any action against Mugabe's agents. They claimed diplomatic
0:41:23 > 0:41:29immunity and that was accepted. I'm left with permanent brain and eye
0:41:29 > 0:41:34damage. Nothing major but of course thousands and thousands of
0:41:34 > 0:41:40Zimbabweans have been murdered by his regime. Political prisoners were
0:41:40 > 0:41:46tortured and subjected to mass rape of male and female political
0:41:46 > 0:41:48prisoners and of course many were assassinated and killed
0:41:48 > 0:41:54extrajudicially. The price for Zimbabweans has been far greater
0:41:54 > 0:41:59than anybody like me has ever Indian word.Do you feel like your activism
0:41:59 > 0:42:05and the activism of others was a success? His fall appears in the
0:42:05 > 0:42:10short-term to have from internal pressure.That's right, when I had
0:42:10 > 0:42:16him under arrest in London in 1999, when I ambushed his motorcade, we
0:42:16 > 0:42:20had all the legal papers for his arrest and prosecution under charges
0:42:20 > 0:42:27of torture, specifically the torture of two Black journalists in Harare.
0:42:27 > 0:42:31Sadly the British Foreign Minister and Attorney General agreed to allow
0:42:31 > 0:42:37Mugabe to go free. That was a shocking thing to do. If he'd been
0:42:37 > 0:42:42arrested and put on trial and convicted in 1999, much of the
0:42:42 > 0:42:48terror that followed may not have happened.You would have been a rare
0:42:48 > 0:42:53when trying to arrest him that if any British government allowed a
0:42:53 > 0:42:55citizen to arrest a leader it would have set a precedent that wouldn't
0:42:55 > 0:43:01be popular -- would have been aware. Under British law, a private citizen
0:43:01 > 0:43:03has the legal right to arrest someone if they have evidence
0:43:03 > 0:43:08they've committed a crime. Of course I handed over President Mugabe to
0:43:08 > 0:43:13the British police. We were arrested, myself and my colleagues
0:43:13 > 0:43:16and President McGarvey was given a police escort to go Christmas
0:43:16 > 0:43:21shopping at Harrods. -- President Mugabe.You've been campaigning for
0:43:21 > 0:43:28a long time, what are your emotions? I feel the joy of Zimbabweans,
0:43:28 > 0:43:32having supported them for over 30 years in this trouble for democracy.
0:43:32 > 0:43:37But I'm very uncertain about the future. We don't know who's going to
0:43:37 > 0:43:46replace Mugabe. We know who will probably do it. All of these Zanu-PF
0:43:46 > 0:43:50leaders, almost all of them have been implicated in the corruption
0:43:50 > 0:43:55and human rights abuses of the Mugabe regime. There is a fear that
0:43:55 > 0:44:00this could be the continuation of the regime under a different leader.
0:44:00 > 0:44:04I hope that's not the case but that's certainly a possibility and a
0:44:04 > 0:44:09fear. As everyone is saying, as Zimbabweans are saying, the true
0:44:09 > 0:44:14test will be free and fair elections. Having said that, also
0:44:14 > 0:44:19today I feel joy and sorrow because I remember the thousands and
0:44:19 > 0:44:24thousands of Zimbabweans murdered by his regime, thousands. I was
0:44:24 > 0:44:29campaign against the white minority regime in Rhodesia, I supported the
0:44:29 > 0:44:32struggle against South African apartheid but Robert Mugabe killed
0:44:32 > 0:44:40more black Africans and even the evil apartheid regime and that is a
0:44:40 > 0:44:43damning indictment of his regime. That will be one of his most
0:44:43 > 0:44:54shameful legacy is.Thank you for joining us.
0:44:54 > 0:44:56Back in 2008, the opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai won more votes
0:44:56 > 0:44:59than Robert Mugabe in the first round of the presidential election.
0:44:59 > 0:45:02In fact, his party claimed he'd got the 50% of votes that
0:45:02 > 0:45:04would have secured victory.
0:45:04 > 0:45:06But the result was disputed, a second round was called,
0:45:06 > 0:45:08and Mr Tsvangirai pulled out after violence
0:45:08 > 0:45:16against his supporters.
0:45:16 > 0:45:18He didn't become president.
0:45:18 > 0:45:20Mr Tsvangirai has continued as a vocal critic of Robert Mugabe.
0:45:20 > 0:45:24Here he is talking to Emily Maitlis for the BBC's Newsnight.
0:45:24 > 0:45:28One would definitely hope that it opens a new trajectory for the
0:45:28 > 0:45:37country. Other than the perpetuation of the Mugabe culture. I hope that
0:45:37 > 0:45:43the next leadership during the transition will set a new trajectory
0:45:43 > 0:45:50where people are respected and that the rule of law is restored and
0:45:50 > 0:45:56that...Have you spoken yet to the vice president Jemerson Mnangagwa
0:45:56 > 0:46:02and will you endorse him as president -- Emmerson.I haven't
0:46:02 > 0:46:16spoken to him yet but I hope that if we are to correct the past, the
0:46:16 > 0:46:24principles, myself and him and others must sit down.
0:46:24 > 0:46:26Back in 2007, Morgan Tsvangirai was arrested and beaten
0:46:26 > 0:46:27on his way to a prayer rally.
0:46:27 > 0:46:29This is him in hospital in Harare.
0:46:29 > 0:46:31The matter drew worldwide commendation.
0:46:31 > 0:46:33For this and many other things you might expect
0:46:33 > 0:46:34hostility towards Mugabe.
0:46:34 > 0:46:36But here is Mr Tsvangirai on what should happen
0:46:36 > 0:46:39to the departing president.
0:46:39 > 0:46:41A futile exercise.
0:46:41 > 0:46:44I think, let him go and rest in his last days.
0:46:44 > 0:46:49So you bear him no ill will?
0:46:49 > 0:46:53No, I don't bear him any ill will at all.
0:46:53 > 0:47:03My call for him has always been, why don't you take a dignified exit?
0:47:04 > 0:47:07That's what the Zimbabweans have been pressurising.
0:47:07 > 0:47:09And will you stand in the elections in August 2018?
0:47:09 > 0:47:13Do you want to be Zimbabwe's next president?
0:47:13 > 0:47:17Well, it is too early to tell, but definitely,
0:47:17 > 0:47:18my party will decide, and my alliance partners
0:47:18 > 0:47:28will decide whether I will be a candidate or not.
0:47:28 > 0:47:35Robert Mugabe was in power for 37 years.
0:47:35 > 0:47:42Andrew Harding looks back at his political career.
0:47:42 > 0:47:45He could have left power a hero, instead he made the classic mistake
0:47:45 > 0:47:47and overstayed his welcome, many would say by decades.
0:47:47 > 0:47:49There was a deceptive calm in Salisbury...
0:47:49 > 0:47:52Robert Mugabe had grown up in a world of white privilege
0:47:52 > 0:47:53and British colonial rule.
0:47:53 > 0:47:55As a young man, he joined the liberation struggle,
0:47:55 > 0:47:58spending ten years in prison and then joining his
0:47:58 > 0:48:03guerillas in the bush.
0:48:03 > 0:48:05I, Robert Gabriel Mugabe.
0:48:05 > 0:48:12When finally independence came in 1980, Mugabe took control.
0:48:12 > 0:48:20The early signs of trouble, his political rivals silenced,
0:48:20 > 0:48:24thousands massacred in violence in the south of the country.
0:48:24 > 0:48:26But Zimbabwe prospered, and its population
0:48:26 > 0:48:27seemed well-educated.
0:48:27 > 0:48:29In the 1990s, economic shocks and growing political opposition
0:48:29 > 0:48:34prompted Mugabe to lash out.
0:48:34 > 0:48:36His supporters seized white-owned farms.
0:48:36 > 0:48:38Violently.
0:48:38 > 0:48:43The ripples shuddered through the country and the economy.
0:48:43 > 0:48:46To stay in power, Mugabe's Zanu-PF party began rigging elections
0:48:46 > 0:48:51and terrorising opponents.
0:48:51 > 0:48:53Western sanctions followed and then hyperinflation, the currency
0:48:53 > 0:49:00collapsing spectacularly.
0:49:00 > 0:49:01Then came Grace.
0:49:01 > 0:49:04An ageing Mugabe remarried, but the public never warmed to her.
0:49:04 > 0:49:07She spent lavishly, but it was when she began to show
0:49:07 > 0:49:11political ambition that things changed dramatically.
0:49:11 > 0:49:15Zimbabweans were in no mood for a dynasty, nor was the military,
0:49:15 > 0:49:19with political tensions rising, it was the prospect of President
0:49:19 > 0:49:22Grace that helped force the generals' hand last week
0:49:22 > 0:49:30when they seized power in a coup d'etat.
0:49:30 > 0:49:34Was grace her husband's downfall?
0:49:34 > 0:49:36Today, we went in search of more clues.
0:49:36 > 0:49:38Outside Harare, one of her huge mansions.
0:49:38 > 0:49:39I'm Andrew.
0:49:39 > 0:49:40I'm Dennis.
0:49:40 > 0:49:43We weren't allowed in, but nearby, we got a taste of why
0:49:43 > 0:49:44she is so despised here.
0:49:44 > 0:49:49This woman said the police had destroyed her home and dozens more
0:49:49 > 0:49:57because Grace wanted to seize the land for herself.
0:49:57 > 0:50:00They came here and started demolishing my house.
0:50:00 > 0:50:01All over.
0:50:01 > 0:50:04They pulled down my house.
0:50:04 > 0:50:06They said, you must go away because this place
0:50:06 > 0:50:08is being taken by the first lady.
0:50:08 > 0:50:09By the first lady, Grace Mugabe?
0:50:09 > 0:50:10Yes.
0:50:10 > 0:50:13Here, the law meant nothing to the first family.
0:50:13 > 0:50:17They were emperors.
0:50:17 > 0:50:21Mugabe was so long in power, he behaved as if Zimbabwe
0:50:22 > 0:50:24belong to him, his family.
0:50:24 > 0:50:28Today, at long last, a man who could have left office
0:50:28 > 0:50:30and African icon was forced out, his humiliation complete.
0:50:30 > 0:50:40Andrew Harding, BBC News, Harare.
0:50:40 > 0:50:44Next I want to hear from Mary Harper who has covered Africa for the BBC
0:50:44 > 0:50:50for many years. She is now going to look at how it fitted into the
0:50:50 > 0:50:57politics of the 80s.Mugabe came into politics quite late, he was
0:50:57 > 0:51:02hailed as a liberator and hero, leading a war of independence,
0:51:02 > 0:51:05putting a priority on health and education. He wanted everybody to be
0:51:05 > 0:51:12healthy and educated to quite a high degree and he was successful so he
0:51:12 > 0:51:16was seen as a hero who stood up to the colonial powers of many other
0:51:16 > 0:51:23countries. He was really seen as a liberator number one for many years.
0:51:23 > 0:51:27That reputation will have gone beyond Southern Africa?Yes, in
0:51:27 > 0:51:33southern and he was seen, that feeling was particularly strong but
0:51:33 > 0:51:35it was across the continent and other new countries across the
0:51:35 > 0:51:42world. Mugabe was a kind of super Star for his first years in power.
0:51:42 > 0:51:47And how far he has managed to sink since then.We have forecast a lot
0:51:47 > 0:51:53on BBC World Service radio which has big audiences in Africa. I was taken
0:51:53 > 0:51:57the back by the number of listeners who called in and said that he's an
0:51:57 > 0:52:01inspiration they love him. Absolutely, that has carried an
0:52:01 > 0:52:05almost until the present day partly because Robert Mugabe was the most
0:52:05 > 0:52:11vocal at one of the smartest, bravest critics of the West. He used
0:52:11 > 0:52:15to taunt the Western powers again and again and take them on as an
0:52:15 > 0:52:18equal and many people in Africa even though they wouldn't have liked the
0:52:18 > 0:52:22governments he was imposing on the people of Zimbabwe, they liked how
0:52:22 > 0:52:27he stood up to the Western powers. They saw him as someone who was
0:52:27 > 0:52:35brave. That went on for decades after he started to bring Zimbabwe
0:52:35 > 0:52:40down, to its knees.More recently, within the context of the African
0:52:40 > 0:52:46union, was the one of the most influential voices?Know, over the
0:52:46 > 0:52:51last decade he become more of a figure of ridicule and
0:52:51 > 0:52:57embarrassment, even amongst most African leaders. In southern Africa,
0:52:57 > 0:53:01especially South Africa, he was still seen as somebody who should be
0:53:01 > 0:53:08respected by other leaders, seen as an elder statesman, even if he were
0:53:08 > 0:53:14saying things and doing things that were inappropriate. It has been
0:53:14 > 0:53:17difficult for many leaders in Africa to let go of that residual respect
0:53:17 > 0:53:23they had for him. Interesting that since he's resigned, we haven't
0:53:23 > 0:53:28really heard from African countries. We've heard from Western countries
0:53:28 > 0:53:32praising this but African countries are taking their time. They have to
0:53:32 > 0:53:36be very careful, how are they play this.Some other long-standing
0:53:36 > 0:53:39rulers are going to be watching what is happening in Zimbabwe and will
0:53:39 > 0:53:46have concerns.Absolutely, some of those people who have been in power
0:53:46 > 0:53:50for a long time, like the president of Cameroon, will be looking over
0:53:50 > 0:53:54their shoulders and saying they hope that the people of their country
0:53:54 > 0:53:59don't do a Zimbabwe on them.What about the African context, do other
0:53:59 > 0:54:06African countries see Zimbabwe as a priority or would they look at
0:54:06 > 0:54:12Eritrea and Congo and think they have more pressing issues?I think
0:54:12 > 0:54:15Zimbabwe is almost like a film show that they are watching but in terms
0:54:15 > 0:54:20of how it impacts South Africa beyond its neighbours... In South
0:54:20 > 0:54:24Africa and it is a big deal because many Zimbabweans went there because
0:54:24 > 0:54:28they couldn't survive economically and politically at home but beyond
0:54:28 > 0:54:33that the rest of Africa will see that it has massive problems. For
0:54:33 > 0:54:44instance, Nigeria and Somalia with Islamist insurgents, so it is a bit
0:54:44 > 0:54:48of a sideshow when you look at the continent. But Robert Mugabe is such
0:54:48 > 0:54:54a huge figure, it is going to make a big impact on the continent and
0:54:54 > 0:55:01worldwide.That's it on the day Robert Mugabe