Zimbabweans hope for fresh start as Robert Mugabe ends 37-year reign with forced resignation

Godwin Mangudya and Austin Davis | Special to USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Zimbabwe's embattled president has finally resigned According to several reports out Tuesday, President Robert Mugabe resigned in a letter submitted to the country's parliament. Video provided by Newsy

HARARE, Zimbabwe — President Robert Mugabe's forced resignation Tuesday after 37 years in power ignited cheers from residents in this southern African nation who said the world's oldest leader had presided over a worsening economy and rampant corruption.

"We feel very excited because we have been suffering for too long," said Victor Chirwa, 47, a school teacher. "I am happy he is gone — and he must go to prison. ... I hope we will be able to lead a better life."

Mugabe, 93, reluctantly resigned shortly after Zimbabwe's Parliament began impeachment proceedings against the only ruler the country has known since its transition to majority-rule from a white-run government in 1980.

In a letter to Parliament, Mugabe said he was stepping down immediately for "the welfare of the people of Zimbabwe and the need for a peaceful transfer of power."

He stepped down days after the military placed him and his wife, Grace, under house arrest and pressured him to relinquish the office. His ZANU-PF political party expelled him from its ranks, choosing an exiled vice president to succeed him.

Mugabe's ascent to power was marked by the massacre of thousands of civilians who opposed his rule. During his tenure, Zimbabwe turned from one of the African continent's most prosperous nations to one of the world's worst economies, wracked with crippling inflation, food shortages and high unemployment.

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"Mugabe's departure brings about a change that I have always wished for," said Mary Jonasi, 28, a recent graduate from the University of Zimbabwe who has long been looking for a job.

Mugabe's downfall appeared to be triggered his maneuvering for his 52-year-old wife, known as "Gucci Grace" for her lavish spending, to succeed him. Grace Mugabe entered Zimbabwean politics only two years ago.

Mugabe fired a rival to his wife, Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, 75, on Nov. 6. Nine days later, military forces placed Mugabe and his wife under house arrest.

Although gunshots could be heard in Harare as tanks rolled down the capital's boulevards, the military denied that the developments constituted a coup, instead saying in a televised address that it had "stepped in" to quell the turmoil within the president's party.

The military's actions were heralded by Zimbabweans who applauded the effort to trigger a peaceful transition of power rather than engineer a violent takeover of the government.

"I have been suffering with no job for the last five years and I think this opens a new chapter in my life," said Moreblessing Mapfumo, 34, who last worked as a secretary. "I have been expecting this for a long time. God is great."

Others, however, were suspicious of Mnangagwa because he had been close to Mugabe, and said they'd prefer if there was a democratic vote to give the country a fresh start.

"His (Mugabe's) resignation is not enough. We need free and fair elections that will bring the change we all want," said Gaber Ngwere, 23, a student of information sciences. "Emmerson Mnangagwa is going to take over and I am afraid he is not different."