i'm ben brown in the zimbabwean capital, harare, where very shortly, we're expecting the country's veteran leader, robert mugabe, to make a live tv address and announce that he's stepped down from the presidency. zbc have been trailing for the last few hours that he is making an address to the nation and there have been reports that he is going to resign. writers have been saying he has agreed to submit his resignation as president. —— reuters. but we're still waiting to see whether that happens. this afternoon, he has been negotiating with generals here in zimbabwe. he has been discussing, as he has done ever since that military ta keover he has done ever since that military takeover on wednesday, with them, whether he should cling to office.

he has been trying to cling to office. and here we are now, with pictures from zbc, a momentous event now for the whole of zimbabwe, will he resign as president after 37 yea rs 7 he resign as president after 37 years? or will he not? we are about to hear from years? or will he not? we are about to hearfrom robert mugabe himself at last. an extraordinary moment for this country, the whole country waiting and watching to see what happens. he has already been deposed by his own party. will he go as president? can now c an now from robert mugabe. —— let us c an now from robert mugabe. —— let us hear now. fellows about wins. i ——

zimbabweans. i address you tonight on the back of a meeting i held today with the nation's security forces command element. this meeting, which was facilitated by a mediating team, followed an operation mounted by the sinbad way defence forces —— zimbabwe defence

forces in the week that has gone by, and which was triggered by concerns arising from the reading of the state of affairs in our country and in the rulings —— the ruling zanu—pf party. whatever the pros and cons, the way they went about registering those concerns, i is the president of zimbabwe, and as their commander—in—chief, do acknowledge theissues commander—in—chief, do acknowledge the issues they have drawn my attention to. and i do believe that these were raised in the spirit of honesty and out of deep anti—patriotic concern for the stability of our nation. —— deep and

patriotic concern. as i address you, iam also patriotic concern. as i address you, i am also aware of a whole range of concerns which have come from you all as citizens of our great country. today's meeting with the command element has underscored the need for us element has underscored the need for us to collectively start processes that return our nation to normalcy. so, all our people can go about their business unhindered in an environment of perfect peace and security, assured that law and order

will prevail as before, and endure well into the future. if there is anyone, any one observation we have made and drawn from events of the past week, it is the unshakeable pedestal upon which rests our state of peace, law and order, amply indicating that as zimbabwe ends, we are generally a peaceably disposed people, and given to expressing grievances and resolving our differences by ourselves, and with the level of dignity, discipline of restraint so rare to many other

nations. this is to be admired. indeed, such traits must form the pith of our personality and national character. a veritable resource we summon character. a veritable resource we summon and draw upon in times of vices are dudes. —— vicissitudes. the opposition i have alluded to did not amount to a threat to our well cherished constitutional order. nor was it a challenge to my authority as head of state and government. not even as commander—in—chief of the zimbabwe defence forces. to the man, the command element remained

respectful. and comported with the dictates and moors of constitutionalism. true, a few incidents may have occurred here and there, but these are being corrected. i'm happy that throughout the short period, the pillars of state remained functional. even happierfor me state remained functional. even happier for me and arising from today's meeting in a strong sense, isa today's meeting in a strong sense, is a strong sense of collegiality and comradeship. this should redound

to greater peace and an abiding sense of security in communities and in ourentire sense of security in communities and in our entire nation. among the issues discussed is that relating to oui’ issues discussed is that relating to our economy, which as we all know is going through a difficult patch. our great concern...

i beg your pardon. of greater concern i beg your pardon. of greater concern is spats between high—ranking officials in the party and government, exacerbated by multiple conflicting messages from both the party and government, major criticisms levelled against us inescapable. amidst all this, flagship projects already adopted by government stood stalled, or mired in needless controversy. all this now has to stop, as we inaugurate a new work culture, and pace at which

will show a strong sense of purpose and commitment to turning around our economy in terms of our policies. the government remains committed to improving the social and material conditions. material conditions of the people. the government will soon unveil an entrepreneurial skills and business development programme, which will empower and unleash gainful projects at our growth points and growth areas.

zimbabweans, we are a nation born out of a protracted struggle for national independence. our rules like in that struggle whose goals and ideals must guide our present and ideals must guide our present and structure our future. the tradition of resistance is our collective legacy, whose core tenets must be subscribed by all across generations and across times. indeed, these two —— this also was a great concern for our commanders, who themselves were natives of that revolution and often bradbury tender ages and at great personal peril. we

still have in our various communities veterans of that funding struggle. who might have found that the prevailing management of national and party issues quite alienating. this must be corrected without delay, including ensuring that these veterans continue to play central roles in the lives of our nation. we must all recognise that their participation in the war of liberation exacted lifelong costs. which whilst hardly repayable may

still be assuaged and ameliorative. —— ameliorated. in respect of the party, and the party issues raised both by the commanders and by the general membership of zanu—pf, there are also stand acknowledged. they have to be attended to with a great sense of urgency. however, i am aware that as a party of liberation, zanu—pf has over the years written elaborate rules and procedures that guide the operations of all its organs and personnel. indeed, the

current criticism raised, raised against the command element... raised against it by the command element and some of its members have a reason from well funding perception that the party was stretching or even failing in its own rules and procedures. —— well funded perception. the way forward, thus, cannot be based on swapping, or riding roughshod over party rules and procedures. there has to be a net return to the guiding principles of our party, as enshrined in its constitution. which must apply

fairly and equitably in all situations and before all members. the era of victimisation and arbitrary decisions must be put behind. as we all embrace a new ethos, predicated on the supreme rule of our party, and nourished by an abiding sense of camaraderie. to all this must be general recognition that zanu—pf is a party of

traditions, and has been served by successive generations who are bound together by shared ideals and values, which must continue to reign supreme in our nation. intergenerational conflict must be resolved through harmonised melding of old established players, as they embrace and welcome new rules, new ones through a well—defined sense of hierarchy and succession. indeed,

all these matters will be discussed and settled at the forthcoming congress, within the framework of a clear road map that seeks to resolve once and for all any missions or contradictions —— omissions that have affected our party negatively. the congress is due in a few weeks from now. iwill the congress is due in a few weeks from now. i will preside over its processes , from now. i will preside over its processes, which must not be pre—possessed by any acts calculated to undermine it, or to compromise the outcomes in the eyes of the

public. as i conclude this address, iam aware public. as i conclude this address, i am aware that many developments have occurred in the party, or have been championed and done by individuals in the name of the party. given the failings of the past, and the anger this might have triggered in some quarters, such as developments... such developments are quite understandable. however we cannot be guided by bitterness or vengefulness, both of which would not make us any better party members

orany not make us any better party members or any better zimbabweans. our hallowed policy of re—conciliation was pronounced in 1980, and through which we reached out to those who had occupied and oppressed us for nearly a century. and those who had traded fire with in a bitter war. surely they cannot be unavailable to our own, both in the party and in our own, both in the party and in our nation. we must learn to forgive and resolve contradictions, real or

perceived, in a comradely, zimbabwean spirit. i am confident that from tonight, our whole nation, at all levels, gets refocused as we put shoulder to the wheel amidst the promising agricultural season already upon us. let us all move forward , already upon us. let us all move forward, reminding ourselves of our wartime mantra. i think you, and good night. —— thank u. it isa

it is a long speech. applause 0k, ok, thanks. robert mugabe with an absolutely extraordinary speech to the nation. it was expected that he would announce his resignation, but he has not done that. it was a lawn and typically rambling address to the nation from robert mugabe. —— long. he was flanked by some of the generals he has been negotiating with. it had been reported he would announce his resignation, but he has not done that. let us take you

through a few of the things. this was after a day of extraordinary pressure on him, in which he was dismissed by his own party, zanu—pf, and they then gave him an ultimatum that if he didn't resign by midday tomorrow, he was effectively going tomorrow, he was effectively going to be forced out of office by an impeachment process that will now begin, because he is not going. he talked about the military takeover that there has been here, he said he believed the takeover had been undertaken out of honesty and patriotic concern for the stability of our nation. slightly incredibly, he said he did not believe that military takeover was an attempt to undermine his authority as head of state. not a challenge to my authority as head of state, he said that we cannot be guided by bitterness or vengefulness, we must learn to forgive and resolve contradictions. that is move forward. so, lots of generalities,

frankly a lot of waffle, to be honest, from president mugabe, he is still president of this country for the time being at least, but maybe not for very much longer. he has been deposed as party leader, deposed as the leader of zanu—pf, but he is still technically president until either he resigns from office, which he has steadfastly refused to do, against all expectations, and despite the pressure on him from the people with their demonstration yesterday, with their demonstration yesterday, with the army and from zanu—pf itself, he is staying put, it seems. let us get some reaction to that speech from one of the people who demonstrated yesterday here in harare. she is an offer and a neurosurgeon here. —— she is on offer. you might yesterday demanding he stood done, what did you think of that speech? it is

interesting, for many of us who are a little older, mugabe came onto the international stage in 1980 with an incredibly eloquent speech, we will —— we were very proud and it is interesting he should go out of the stage with and also eloquent speech. but he hasn't gone out of the stage, he hasn't resign. we are entering a post mcgothigan europe. whatever the speech was tonight, if you saw what happened on the streets yesterday, both at the war veterans' mass rally and on the streets of zimbabwe, people were buoyant, we are entering an area “— people were buoyant, we are entering an area —— an era of inclusivity. we can never go back. by people were reporting he would say in this address on tv, i resign as president, i resign out head of state. i think there is a tricky element here, which is that on the one hand there must be any appearance of coercion on the part of the military. and i think perhaps

flanked by the generals, resignation may have been perceived by that way. i think what is happening right now in zanu—pf is a political process and a political solution. we are entering a post—mugabe era. i hope zimbabweans are not deflated by this. they must know we have began a process that will move forward. but they will be deflated because you know that the expectation that was raised with that demonstration here that you took part in, they demanded his resignation and they thought they would get it tonight. like i said, i think people will feel deflated, but the spirit was incredible, the demands where there, but zimbabweans are so patient, this is our kind of coup, or not coup, it is our kind of coup, or not coup, it is our kind of process and i really don't think there is any doubt that mugabe will go. is he going to be impeached now? that is what zanu—pf have said, if he doesn't go by midday tomorrow, localtime,

have said, if he doesn't go by midday tomorrow, local time, the parliament will start impeaching him straightaway. i think that political process has already begun. you have ten out of ten provinces casting a no vote, he was removed as head of the party, it isjust no vote, he was removed as head of the party, it is just a no vote, he was removed as head of the party, it isjust a matter of another final hurdle before the party, it isjust a matter of anotherfinal hurdle before he is impeached. he is pretty stubborn, all this pressure, and the party and the army, the people and still he will not go. 37 years of power, i don't think it has even sunk in psychologically, there was not real cognition that he is no longer in power. the military intervention, he said, was not a challenge to his authority. there is no sense of that. i think the only way it will come is through the political process through zanu—pf.“ come is through the political process through zanu-pf. if i have heard it said he really believes he should die in office, die as president, that is what he has already assumed. he isjust president, that is what he has already assumed. he is just not prepared to stand down. we have 14

million people who deserve to have a fresh voice, they deserve something better. so it is not about what mugabe wants, to die in office, i think the world would agree that is a completely unrealistic expectation. and our country cannot be held hostage by the dreams of a single human being. if he doesn't 90, single human being. if he doesn't go, will people march again like they did yesterday? we saw so many people on the streets, there was a euphoric atmosphere. it was a euphoric atmosphere. it was a euphoric atmosphere. it was a euphoric atmosphere. but winds have lost their voice and they found it. on the streets were blacks and whites, farmers, maids, gardeners, people from all stripes. it is not necessary , people from all stripes. it is not necessary, i think, for us to march again, i think the message has been heard. people heard cars. mr mugabe didn't hear it you, it seems! is a —— people heard cars. good to talk to you. a demonstrator yesterday and

maybe a demonstrator again. let's go to milton nkosi. he is in johannesburg. i know you have met robert mugabe down the years, you have followed his career closely. what do you make of this speech? pretty bizarre, wasn't it? pretty rambling. anyone who was hoping he won't resign, and it is very to say there were millions who were hoping that, will be disappointed. yes indeed. i hate to say it, but last time you and i spoke, i said this quy time you and i spoke, i said this guy will fight until the last drop. they do not come top than this in life. the writing is on the wall. if military officers in fatigues pushing the papers next to him, and still there is no resignation. robert mugabe will not give in until

he is impeached. there is no other way now, it is quite clear that he is holding the line, that he has been holding all week. so, milton, there was so much expectation, i suppose. how disappointed do you think ordinary zimbabweans are going to be, having heard this address from president mugabe after all the heady atmosphere of a rally yesterday, the drama of the military takeover, the drama of zanu—pf stripping him of his party leadership, and all of this in a sense might be an anti—climax this evening? it isa it is a colossal disappointment. i think across notjust it is a colossal disappointment. i think across not just zimbabwe it is a colossal disappointment. i think across notjust zimbabwe but the african continent, and indeed across the world, where people thought that robert mugabe would do the right thing, he has again stood

his ground and decided that he wants to die in office. he's only got one thing in mind. he's going nowhere, as far as he is concerned. it was quite interesting, just watching all the people in the room. there was no sign of mrs grace mugabe, the person who actually triggered the sequence of events we have been following in the last few days. she was nowhere to be seen and i wonder where she was watching this speech from. i wonder if she had anything to do with it, given