Zimbabwe latest: Mugabe in crunch talks over his future

Zimbabwe’s long-time president Robert Mugabe is holding talks with South African negotiators over his future.

Envoys from the the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) are trying to reach a deal on the future of Zimbabwe and the man who has led the country for 37 years.

Mr Mugabe, 93, was put under house arrest on Wednesday after the army moved to take control.

Zimbabwe’s opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai says Mr Mugabe must resign.

Sources suggest Mr Mugabe may be resisting pressure to step down, insisting he remains the legitimate president.

Why did the military take this action?

President Mugabe has been in control of Zimbabwe since it threw off white minority rule in 1980.

However, the power struggle over who might succeed him, between his wife Grace Mugabe and her rival former Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa, has split the ruling Zanu-PF party in recent months.

Last week, Mr Mugabe came down in favour of his wife, sacking Mr Mnangagwa, a veteran of Zimbabwe’s anti-colonial struggle.

That proved too much for military leaders, who seized control of the country on Wednesday.

The head of the African Union, Guinean President Alpha Condé, has warned the AU “will in no case accept” the military seizure of power. He said he was “inviting the army to return to its barracks and return to constitutional order”.

So what’s going on in Harare now?

The capital has been on edge.

A Roman Catholic priest known to Mr Mugabe for years, Father Fidelis Mukonori, is trying to mediate a deal on his future with the military.

South African Defence Minister Nosiviwe Maphisa-Nqakula and State Security Minister Bongani Bongo are meeting Mr Mugabe on behalf of Sadc, which South Africa currently leads.

Sticking points are said to include what role Mr Mnangagwa will play and the security of Mr Mugabe’s family.

Zanu-PF’s UK representative, Nick Mangwana, has suggested to the BBC that Mr Mugabe could remain nominally in power until the party congress in December, when Mr Mnangagwa would be formally installed as party and national leader.

Reuters news agency is quoting a source as saying Mr Mugabe’s wife Grace is in Mr Mugabe’s compound, along with senior figures from the “Generation-40” group supportive of the first lady – cabinet ministers Jonathan Moyo and Saviour Kasukuwere.

Mrs Mugabe had previously been thought to have fled to Namibia.

-BBC