Zimbabwe’s ousted president Robert Mugabe is ‘jovial’ and looking forward to spending his retirement farming, it has been revealed.
The hardline politician’s wife Grace is now concentrating on plans to build a university in his honour, his nephew Leo Mugabe said.
Zimbabwe announced plans in August to build the $1-billion post-graduate university in Mazowe, 20 miles outside Harare.
The plan drew fierce criticism as Mugabe is accused of brutal repression and bringing the country to economic ruin.
Leo said today: ‘He is actually looking forward to his new life – farming and staying at the rural home. He has taken it well.’
Robert Mugabe’s wife Grace (pictured right) is now concentrating on plans to build a university in his honour
President Emmerson Mnangagwa, a former Mugabe loyalist, was sworn in on Friday and attention is focused on whether he will name a broad-based government or select figures from Mugabe’s era
Sources close to the hardline politician revealed he held a rosary while telling close associates and a team of negotiators at his Harare mansion that he was resigning before breaking down in tears.
He announced the decision as parliament heard a motion to impeach him.
One insider at the meeting said: ‘He looked down and said ‘people were chameleons’.’
Father Fidelis Mukonori, a Jesuit priest who is a close friend of the ex-president, said Mugabe’s face ‘just glowed’ after he signed the resignation letter.
He added: ‘We are not talking about a bitter man. I told him that it was good for him to see someone running the country.’
In the exit negotiations, Mugabe was reportedly granted a $10-million lump sum, full immunity and allowed to keep his assets.
He will still be paid his full salary, in line with constitution, while his wife will reportedly receive half his pay after his death.
Mugabe’s nephew Leo (pictured) said today: ‘He is actually looking forward to his new life – farming and staying at the rural home. He has taken it well’
President Emmerson Mnangagwa, a former Mugabe loyalist, was sworn in on Friday and attention is focused on whether he will name a broad-based government or select figures from Mugabe’s era.
But critics fear Mnangagwa – who has been accused of overseeing violence and ethnic massacres – could prove as authoritarian as his predecessor.
Mugabe’s fall after 37 years in power was spurred by a battle to succeed him that pitted Mnangagwa, who had stood by him for 52 years, and Mugabe’s wife Grace, who is 52.
At his swearing in ceremony on Friday, Mnangagwa said he valued democracy, tolerance and the rule of law and would tackle corruption. He has also urged citizens not to undertake ‘vengeful retribution’.
The new government is already moving to bring some of Mugabe and his wife’s close associates to book and former finance minister Ignatius Chombo was in court on Saturday on corruption charges.
Chombo was among several members of a group allied to Grace who were detained and expelled from the ruling ZANU-PF party after the military seized power in Operation Legacy which it said was meant to remove the ‘criminals’ around Mugabe.
Chombo, who told the court he was forcibly removed from his home on November 15 by armed men wearing military uniform, was detained until Monday when his bail application will be heard.
He was led away in leg irons together with ousted head of the ruling ZANU-PF’s influential youth league Kudzanai Chipanga.