As the whole country is celebrating the resignation of former President Robert Mugabe, we look at the events leading to this historic event.
Mugabe had ruled Zimbabwe for 37 years.
November 4: Mugabe and wife Grace take turns to insult and dress down Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa at the Bulawayo Youth Interface rally. They accuse Mnangagwa of fronting a faction called Lacoste angling to succeed Mugabe.
November 5: Grace addresses members of Apostolic churches at a rally in Mbare. She continues her rants against the beleaguered vice President labeling him a coward who could not challenge her in front of Mugabe.
November 6: Mnangagwa is fired from government ending his over 50 years relationship with Mugabe.
November 8: Mnangagwa issues a statement promising to come back in “few weeks” to lead the nation.
November 13: Commander of the Defence Forces, Constantino Chiwenga calls for a press conference where he castigated purging of Zanu PF members with liberation war background. He calls for an end to any dismissal of members in the ruling party saying the military would not hesitate to step in if the situation goes out of hand.
November 14: Tanks are seen moving into the city, a day after army chief Constantino Chiwenga denounces Mugabe’s sacking of Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Mnangagwa is seen as a rival of Mugabe’s wife Grace, 52, to succeed the veteran 93-year-old leader.
Later, heavy gunfire is heard near Mugabe’s residence in Harare.
Military officers deny a coup. In an overnight declaration on state television, they say Mugabe is safe and they are “only targeting criminals around him”.
Mugabe under house arrest
November 15: Military vehicles take control of the streets of Harare from the early hours, controlling access to parliament, ruling party headquarters and the Supreme Court.
South Africa says Mugabe told President, Jacob Zuma that he is under house arrest but is “fine”.
South Africa send two special envoys to Zimbabwe. The European Union urges a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
Former colonial power Britain urges all sides in Zimbabwe to refrain from violence and says the situation is “very fluid”.
The head of the African Union, Guinea’s President Alpha Conde, says the situation “seems like a coup”. He calls on the military to halt their actions and restore constitutional order.
Mugabe refuses to resign
November 16: Mugabe refuses to step down during talks with generals, a source close to the army leadership says.
Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai also calls for Mugabe to go “in the interest of the people”.
Mugabe and envoys from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional bloc, dispatched by Zuma, hold talks at the presidency.
SADC Intervenes
Army takes control
November 14: Tanks are seen moving on the outskirts of the capital a day after army chief Constantino Chiwenga denounces Mugabe’s sacking of Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Mnangagwa is seen as a rival of Mugabe’s wife Grace, 52, to succeed the veteran 93-year-old leader.
Later, heavy gunfire is heard near Mugabe’s residence in Harare.
Military officers deny a coup. In an overnight declaration on state television, they say Mugabe is safe and they are “only targeting criminals around him”.
Mugabe under house arrest
November 15: Military vehicles take control of the streets of Harare from the early hours, controlling access to parliament, ruling party headquarters and the Supreme Court.
South Africa says Mugabe has told its president, Jacob Zuma, by telephone that he is under house arrest but is “fine”.
South Africa sends two special envoys to Zimbabwe. The European Union urges a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
Former colonial power Britain urges all sides in Zimbabwe to refrain from violence and says the situation is “very fluid”.
The head of the African Union, Guinea’s President Alpha Conde, says the situation “seems like a coup”. He calls on the military to halt their actions and restore constitutional order.
Mugabe refuses to resign
– November 16: Mugabe refuses to step down during talks with generals, a source close to the army leadership says.
Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai also calls for Mugabe to go “in the interest of the people”.
Mugabe and envoys from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional bloc, dispatched by Zuma, hold talks at the presidency.
Mnangagwa returns
November 17: Ousted vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa, widely tipped to become a transition leader if Mugabe leaves, returns to Zimbabwe after nearly a week abroad.
Mugabe makes a first public appearance since the military takeover, attending a university graduation ceremony.
The army says negotiations with the 93-year-old president are continuing.
Veterans of Zimbabwe’s independence war call for mass anti-Mugabe street protests on Saturday. Their leader Christopher Mutsvangwa tells Mugabe “the game is up”.
Eight of the 10 regional branches of the ruling Zanu-PF party also call for him to resign.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says the people of Zimbabwe must choose their own government through elections.
In Ivory Coast, President Alassane Ouattara says it is time for Mugabe “to hand over his seat to a new generation.”
Mass protests
November 18: Thousands of protesters flood Zimbabwe’s streets demanding Mugabe’s resignation.
The peaceful demonstrations – organised by independence war veterans and backed by Zanu-PF barons and the army – include a sit-down protest within 200 metres from the complex which was the nerve centre of Mugabe’s authoritarian rule.
It is announced Mugabe will meet army chiefs the following day.
Mugabe hangs on
November 19: The influential youth league leader of Zanu-PF calls for Mugabe and his wife Grace to go.
The head of Zimbabwe’s war veterans association Chris Mutsvangwa says Mugabe should give in “now”, adding: “The army must finish with him today.”
Former vice president Mnangagwa replaces Mugabe as Zanu-PF party chief and Grace Mugabe is expelled.
The ruling party says Mugabe must resign as president by midday on Monday, or face impeachment.
But in a live televised address, Mugabe defies expectations he will resign, instead saying he will preside over Zanu-PF’s congress in December.
Impeachment plans
November 20: Zanu-PF sets plans for launching the impeachment process in parliament on Tuesday after Mugabe misses the noon deadline to quit, says lawmaker Paul Mangwana.
The party also reaches out to the main opposition, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), seeking their cooperation to pass the necessary parliamentary votes.
Hundreds of students at the University of Zimbabwe protest and examinations are suspended until further notice
November 21: Mugabe is snubbed by his Cabinet , only 4 Minister attend a cabinet meeting he had called.
Parliament seat to start the impeachment process.
History is made as Mugabe formally resigns after 37 years in power.
his resignation letter is read by Speaker of Parliament , Jacob Mudenda , sparking wild cheers in the country and by Zimbabweans abroad.
