After a week of calls to step down, Robert Mugabe has finally resigned as President of Zimbabwe. Parliament speaker Jacob Mudenda announced that the 93-year-old had submitted an official resignation letter, marking his immediate withdrawal from power.
Mugabe was contained by the military after he fired his would-be successor, Emmerson Mnangagwa, making way for his wife Grace to take the powerful position. After shocking the world by refusing to resign earlier this week, Mugabe appears to have caved to both political and popular pressure.
Celebrations broke out on the streets of Harare in response to the news, with people dancing, singing and waving signs. “We are elated!” Finance worker William Makombore told The Guardian. “It’s time for new blood. I’m 36 and I’ve been waiting for this all my life, I’ve only known one leader.”
The news signals a new era of hope for the country, echoed in the words of Mildred Tadiwa, who was out celebrating with her baby daughter. “I’m excited for myself, my baby, the whole nation,” she said. “My daughter will grow up in a better Zimbabwe.”