Zimbabwe's long-time President Robert Mugabe is reportedly refusing to step down immediately, despite growing calls for his resignation. There has been no official word on the outcome of talks he had with regional envoys and the army chief earlier. Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai said earlier it was "in the interests of the people" that Mugabe "resign... immediately". The army moved in after Mugabe last week sacked Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa, signalling that he favoured his wife Grace Mugabe to take over his Zanu-PF party and thus the presidency. The BBC's Andrew Harding, in Zimbabwe, says that if President Mugabe can be persuaded to step down officially it could help legitimise the military's dramatic intervention.

Source: The Star November 17, 2017 03:33 UTC