Nicknamed &quot;the Crocodile&quot; for his ruthlessness, Emmerson Mnangagwa who will take over as Zimbabwe&#39;s next president, is a hardliner with ties to the military who could prove as authoritarian as his mentor Robert Mugabe.&nbsp;

It was his political ambition to take over which set off a bitter succession battle between him and Grace, the president&#39;s 52-year-old wife, triggering the crisis that toppled the autocrat, who resigned on Tuesday.&nbsp;

When Mnangagwa was dismissed as vice president by Mugabe on November 6, it initially looked like he&#39;d been outfoxed by the first lady, forcing him to flee the country.&nbsp;

But the situation quickly turned on its head, with his dismissal triggering a military takeover and mass street protests, which ended with Mugabe&#39;s ouster and Mnangagwa catapulted to centre stage.&nbsp;

With the nation still reeling from Mugabe&#39;s lightning demise, the 75-year-old was to make a triumphant return home on Wednesday and be sworn in as president on Friday.&nbsp;

A former close Mugabe ally, Mnangagwa&#39;s fall from grace appears to have been engineered by the first lady, who lobbied her husband to back her own political ambitions.

It was the climax of a long feud between the pair over who would replace the ailing and increasingly frail 93-year-old leader.&nbsp;

But Mnangagwa&#39;s dismissal alarmed the army, with the generals quickly moving in, staging a military takeover which brought him down within days.&nbsp;

Political veteran&nbsp;

Mnangagwa&#39;s rise to the top comes after decades of experience under Mugabe since Zimbabwe won independence from Britain in 1980.&nbsp;

In the early days, Mugabe appointed Mnangagwa, a young trainee lawyer, as Zimbabwe&#39;s first minister for national security.&nbsp;

After that, he held a host of different cabinet positions - but relations between him and his political mentor were not always easy, and the younger man was no stranger to presidential purges.&nbsp;

In 2004, he lost his post as administrative secretary in the ruling ZANU-PF after being accused of openly angling for the post of vice president.

Violence and intimidation

But it was during the 2008 elections that his fortunes really began to change when he was serving as head of Mugabe&#39;s election campaign.&nbsp;

Mugabe lost the first round vote, and Mnangagwa allegedly supervised the wave of violence and intimidation that forced the opposition to pull out of the run-off vote.

In the same year, he took over as head of the Joint Operations Command, a committee of security chiefs which was accused by rights groups of organising violence to crush dissent.

He was targeted by EU and US sanctions imposed on Mugabe and his close allies over the elections and the ensuing violence but was promptly handed control of the powerful defence ministry.

A young fighter&nbsp;

Born in the southwestern Zvishavane district on September 15, 1942, Mnangagwa completed his early education in Zimbabwe before his family relocated to neighbouring Zambia.

His grandfather was a traditional leader and his father a political agitator for the repeal of colonial laws that disadvantaged blacks.

In 1966, Mnangagwa joined the struggle for independence from Britain, becoming one of the young combatants who helped direct the war after undergoing training in China and Egypt.

He was arrested and sentenced to death but his sentence was later commuted to 10 years in prison because of his young age.

After independence in 1980, he directed a brutal crackdown on opposition supporters that claimed thousands of lives in the Matabeleland and Midlands provinces.

The Gukurahundi massacres remain the biggest scar on his reputation among many Zimbabweans.

He once remarked that he had been taught to &quot;destroy and kill&quot; - although he later claimed to be a born-again Christian.&nbsp;

Emmerson Mnangagwa is nicknamed 'the Crocodile' for his ruthlessness

Nicknamed "the Crocodile" for his ruthlessness, Emmerson Mnangagwa who will take over as Zimbabwe's next president, is a hardliner with ties to the military who could prove as authoritarian as his mentor Robert Mugabe. It was his political ambition to take over which set off a bitter succession battle between him and Grace, the president's 52-year-old wife, triggering the crisis that toppled the autocrat, who resigned on Tuesday. When Mnangagwa was dismissed as vice president by Mugabe on November 6, it initially looked like he'd been outfoxed by the first lady, forcing him to flee the country. But the situation quickly turned on its head, with his dismissal triggering a military takeover and mass street protests, which ended with Mugabe's ouster and Mnangagwa catapulted to centre stage. With the nation still reeling from Mugabe's lightning demise, the 75-year-old was to make a triumphant return home on Wednesday and be sworn in as president on Friday. A former close Mugabe ally, Mnangagwa's fall from grace appears to have been engineered by the first lady, who lobbied her husband to back her own political ambitions. It was the climax of a long feud between the pair over who would replace the ailing and increasingly frail 93-year-old leader. But Mnangagwa's dismissal alarmed the army, with the generals quickly moving in, staging a military takeover which brought him down within days. Political veteran Mnangagwa's rise to the top comes after decades of experience under Mugabe since Zimbabwe won independence from Britain in 1980. In the early days, Mugabe appointed Mnangagwa, a young trainee lawyer, as Zimbabwe's first minister for national security. After that, he held a host of different cabinet positions - but relations between him and his political mentor were not always easy, and the younger man was no stranger to presidential purges. In 2004, he lost his post as administrative secretary in the ruling ZANU-PF after being accused of openly angling for the post of vice president. Violence and intimidation But it was during the 2008 elections that his fortunes really began to change when he was serving as head of Mugabe's election campaign. Mugabe lost the first round vote, and Mnangagwa allegedly supervised the wave of violence and intimidation that forced the opposition to pull out of the run-off vote. In the same year, he took over as head of the Joint Operations Command, a committee of security chiefs which was accused by rights groups of organising violence to crush dissent. He was targeted by EU and US sanctions imposed on Mugabe and his close allies over the elections and the ensuing violence but was promptly handed control of the powerful defence ministry. A young fighter Born in the southwestern Zvishavane district on September 15, 1942, Mnangagwa completed his early education in Zimbabwe before his family relocated to neighbouring Zambia. His grandfather was a traditional leader and his father a political agitator for the repeal of colonial laws that disadvantaged blacks. In 1966, Mnangagwa joined the struggle for independence from Britain, becoming one of the young combatants who helped direct the war after undergoing training in China and Egypt. He was arrested and sentenced to death but his sentence was later commuted to 10 years in prison because of his young age. After independence in 1980, he directed a brutal crackdown on opposition supporters that claimed thousands of lives in the Matabeleland and Midlands provinces. The Gukurahundi massacres remain the biggest scar on his reputation among many Zimbabweans. He once remarked that he had been taught to "destroy and kill" - although he later claimed to be a born-again Christian.

Profile: Mnangagwa, set to take over Zimbabwe, could prove as authoritarian as mentor Mugabe

The US &quot;congratulated all who raised their<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/zimbabwe-president-robert-mugabe-resigns-24775"> voices&quot; against Robert Mugabe&#39;s regime</a> as the Zimbabwe leader stepped down as president on Tuesday.

The US administration <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/zimbabwes-parliament-starts-impeachment-process-against-mugabe-24764">relieved at the smooth transfer</a> of power after a week of turmoil called it an &quot;extraordinary opportunity for Zimbabwe to set a new path.&quot;

Parliament speaker had read out a letter written by Robert Mugabe stating was resigning with &quot;immediate effect&quot;&nbsp;bringing an abrupt end to his 37-year rule.

US secretary of state Rex Tillerson said: &quot;With the resignation of Robert Mugabe, today marks a historic moment for Zimbabwe, we congratulate all Zimbabweans who raised their voices and stated peacefully and clearly that the time for change was overdue.&quot;

&quot;Zimbabwe has an extraordinary opportunity to set itself on a new path,&quot; the US secretary of state added.

&quot;The United States strongly supports a peaceful, democratic and prosperous Zimbabwe,&quot; he said, adding,&quot;As events unfold, we continue to call on all parties to exercise restraint and respect constitutional and civilian order,&quot; he maintained.

&quot;We urge Zimbabwe&#39;s leaders to implement much-needed political and economic reforms for a more stable and promising future for the Zimbabwean people,&quot; Tillerson said

&quot;Whatever short-term arrangements the government may establish, the path forward must lead to free and fair elections. The people of Zimbabwe must choose their own leaders,&quot; the US secretary of state concluded.

People on the street&nbsp;cheered after the announcement in Parliament of Mugabe&#39;s resignation, in a week marked with scenes of tanks and armoured vehicles moving around Harare and uncertainty over Mugabe&#39;s next move as he refused to fade away.

With&nbsp;Mugabe&#39;s exit, vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa who flew into the country last week after being removed by Mugabe earlier is expected take over the reins of government with several other anti-Mugabe leaders&nbsp;set to come back.

&quot;I believe that the fired vice president Mnangagwa, who the party central committee endorsed... will come back in the next 24 hours or so and he will be the one who will be sworn in to be president for 90 days,&quot; said ZANU-PF spokesman Simon Khaya Moyo.

The US administration relieved at the smooth transfer of power after a week of turmoil called it an "extraordinary opportunity"

The US "congratulated all who raised their voices" against Robert Mugabe's regime as the Zimbabwe leader stepped down as president on Tuesday. The US administration relieved at the smooth transfer of power after a week of turmoil called it an "extraordinary opportunity for Zimbabwe to set a new path." Parliament speaker had read out a letter written by Robert Mugabe stating was resigning with "immediate effect" bringing an abrupt end to his 37-year rule. US secretary of state Rex Tillerson said: "With the resignation of Robert Mugabe, today marks a historic moment for Zimbabwe, we congratulate all Zimbabweans who raised their voices and stated peacefully and clearly that the time for change was overdue." "Zimbabwe has an extraordinary opportunity to set itself on a new path," the US secretary of state added. "The United States strongly supports a peaceful, democratic and prosperous Zimbabwe," he said, adding,"As events unfold, we continue to call on all parties to exercise restraint and respect constitutional and civilian order," he maintained. "We urge Zimbabwe's leaders to implement much-needed political and economic reforms for a more stable and promising future for the Zimbabwean people," Tillerson said "Whatever short-term arrangements the government may establish, the path forward must lead to free and fair elections. The people of Zimbabwe must choose their own leaders," the US secretary of state concluded. People on the street cheered after the announcement in Parliament of Mugabe's resignation, in a week marked with scenes of tanks and armoured vehicles moving around Harare and uncertainty over Mugabe's next move as he refused to fade away. With Mugabe's exit, vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa who flew into the country last week after being removed by Mugabe earlier is expected take over the reins of government with several other anti-Mugabe leaders set to come back. "I believe that the fired vice president Mnangagwa, who the party central committee endorsed... will come back in the next 24 hours or so and he will be the one who will be sworn in to be president for 90 days," said ZANU-PF spokesman Simon Khaya Moyo.

Zimbabwe's leaders should implement much-needed political reforms: US

Grace Ntombizodwa Mugabe&#39;s journey of life appears to be a fantasy or akin to an animated world of Hollywood, where the princess, who lived her life in distress met her prince charming and live happily forever. But &#39;happily ever after&#39; is certainly not the case with Grace Mugabe.

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&quot;Gucci Grace&quot; pictured with her husband in Vietnam in 2001. (AFP)
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From a typist to the most powerful lady in the Zimbabwe, her lifestyle has an iridescent all negative shades. From being unapologetically arrogant to uncomparably ambitious, she was a synonym of nasty.

She was born in Benoni, Johannesburg, in a middle-class family but Grace had certainly bigger dreams for herself. She was married to Stanley Goreraza, an air force pilot from Zimbabwe and has a son.

Soon after that, she started working as a typist in president&#39;s office, where she met Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe. In some time, they started having an affair. At that time, Robert was married to his first wife Sally Hayfron but she was terminally ill.&nbsp;

Robert is 40 years older than Grace. Love might have certain boundaries but ambition does not have any. After the death of Sally Hayfron, ambitious Grace got married to Robert Mugabe in a lavish ceremony. She has three children with Robert.

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Grace and Robert got married in the year 1996. (Others)
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As far as her education is concerned, she was given the doctoral degree in sociology in the year 2014 but her dissertation is still not available in the archive of University of Zimbabwe.

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She was given the doctoral degree in sociology in the year 2014. (AFP)
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Western media has named her &#39;Gucci Grace&#39; just because of her lavish lifestyle and extravagant spending on luxuries. The European Union even put a travel ban on her. The EU attempts to put an end to her expensive trips in European countries while her citizen suffers. Once she spent USD 120000 on a short shopping spree in Paris, France. After the travel ban, she started visiting China and Malaysia to shop. She also has mansions in China and Malaysia.

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Grace Mugabe shows off her pearl jewellery as she arrives for the opening of Parliament in Harare. (Reuters)
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She launched construction of two palaces in Zimbabwe, one of which was sold to Muammar Gaddafi, another leader of her kind.

She has a habit of being in the news for all the possible wrong reasons. Once she assaulted a model and later a British journalist because of which she surfaced in the media for quite some time. She was an attention seeker. Her lifestyle has earned the name &quot;Dis-Grace&quot; at home.

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Grace Mugabe spotted with her husband Robert Mubage in Paris. (AFP)
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Initially, she stayed out of politics and was better known for her spending habits, such as rare diamond jewellery, and Rolls-Royce limousines for her playboy sons.

But later her political ambition was very much clear by her imprudent actions. When Majuru was expelled from the party, Grace became head of the ZANU-PF Women&rsquo;s League that gave her a seat at the party&rsquo;s top table.

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There are claims that the money funding her lifestyle came from the country&#39;s diamonds. (AP)
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Emmerson Mnangagwa was president&#39;s ally and also likely to be President&#39;s successor but Grace used her political platform to take on Mnangagwa and his allies, eventually firing him from the party.

She emerged to be the most powerful lady in Zimbabwe, but her inappropriate lifestyle is the reason why many anticipated her downfall, and now its happening. She could have used her power and stature to improve the standard of living of thousands of Zimbabweans. Like her rise, even her downfall is dramatic as a feature film. A film that ends with a question, where did the sorceress go?

(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

From a typist to Zimbabwe's First Lady, Grace Mugabe has been unapologetic, arrogant and ambitious

Grace Ntombizodwa Mugabe's journey of life appears to be a fantasy or akin to an animated world of Hollywood, where the princess, who lived her life in distress met her prince charming and live happily forever. But 'happily ever after' is certainly not the case with Grace Mugabe. "Gucci Grace" pictured with her husband in Vietnam in 2001. (AFP) × From a typist to the most powerful lady in the Zimbabwe, her lifestyle has an iridescent all negative shades. From being unapologetically arrogant to uncomparably ambitious, she was a synonym of nasty. She was born in Benoni, Johannesburg, in a middle-class family but Grace had certainly bigger dreams for herself. She was married to Stanley Goreraza, an air force pilot from Zimbabwe and has a son. Soon after that, she started working as a typist in president's office, where she met Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe. In some time, they started having an affair. At that time, Robert was married to his first wife Sally Hayfron but she was terminally ill. Robert is 40 years older than Grace. Love might have certain boundaries but ambition does not have any. After the death of Sally Hayfron, ambitious Grace got married to Robert Mugabe in a lavish ceremony. She has three children with Robert. Grace and Robert got married in the year 1996. (Others) × As far as her education is concerned, she was given the doctoral degree in sociology in the year 2014 but her dissertation is still not available in the archive of University of Zimbabwe. She was given the doctoral degree in sociology in the year 2014. (AFP) × Western media has named her 'Gucci Grace' just because of her lavish lifestyle and extravagant spending on luxuries. The European Union even put a travel ban on her. The EU attempts to put an end to her expensive trips in European countries while her citizen suffers. Once she spent USD 120000 on a short shopping spree in Paris, France. After the travel ban, she started visiting China and Malaysia to shop. She also has mansions in China and Malaysia. Grace Mugabe shows off her pearl jewellery as she arrives for the opening of Parliament in Harare. (Reuters) × She launched construction of two palaces in Zimbabwe, one of which was sold to Muammar Gaddafi, another leader of her kind. She has a habit of being in the news for all the possible wrong reasons. Once she assaulted a model and later a British journalist because of which she surfaced in the media for quite some time. She was an attention seeker. Her lifestyle has earned the name "Dis-Grace" at home. Grace Mugabe spotted with her husband Robert Mubage in Paris. (AFP) × Initially, she stayed out of politics and was better known for her spending habits, such as rare diamond jewellery, and Rolls-Royce limousines for her playboy sons. But later her political ambition was very much clear by her imprudent actions. When Majuru was expelled from the party, Grace became head of the ZANU-PF Women’s League that gave her a seat at the party’s top table. There are claims that the money funding her lifestyle came from the country's diamonds. (AP) × Emmerson Mnangagwa was president's ally and also likely to be President's successor but Grace used her political platform to take on Mnangagwa and his allies, eventually firing him from the party. She emerged to be the most powerful lady in Zimbabwe, but her inappropriate lifestyle is the reason why many anticipated her downfall, and now its happening. She could have used her power and stature to improve the standard of living of thousands of Zimbabweans. Like her rise, even her downfall is dramatic as a feature film. A film that ends with a question, where did the sorceress go? (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: 50 shades of Grace Mugabe

Zimbabwe&rsquo;s parliament began an impeachment process against President Robert Mugabe on Tuesday that looks set to bring his domination of a country he has ruled since independence nearly four decades ago to an ignominious end.

In the last week, Mugabe has clung on in the face of a collapse of his authority and a Monday deadline to quit.

The army seized power a week ago and there have been mass protests against him and calls to resign from many sides including on Tuesday from the ruling party&rsquo;s favourite to succeed him <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/ousted-zimbabwe-deputy-president-asks-mugabe-to-resign-24737" target="_blank">Emmerson Mnangagwa</a>.

Parliament Speaker Jacob Mudenda said he received a motion to impeach and the parliament would adjourn for a hotel to start the proceedings on Tuesday afternoon. Zimbabwean law says a joint sitting can take place anywhere. Thousands of people demonstrated outside parliament urging Mugabe to quit.

Mugabe led Zimbabwe&rsquo;s liberation war and is hailed as one of Africa&rsquo;s founding fathers and a staunch supporter of the drive to free neighbouring South Africa from apartheid in 1994.

But many people in Africa and beyond also say he has damaged Zimbabwe&rsquo;s economy, democracy, and judiciary by staying in power for too long and has used violence to crush perceived political opponents.

Mugabe has ruled Zimbabwe since independence from British rule in 1980

Zimbabwe’s parliament began an impeachment process against President Robert Mugabe on Tuesday that looks set to bring his domination of a country he has ruled since independence nearly four decades ago to an ignominious end. In the last week, Mugabe has clung on in the face of a collapse of his authority and a Monday deadline to quit. The army seized power a week ago and there have been mass protests against him and calls to resign from many sides including on Tuesday from the ruling party’s favourite to succeed him Emmerson Mnangagwa. Parliament Speaker Jacob Mudenda said he received a motion to impeach and the parliament would adjourn for a hotel to start the proceedings on Tuesday afternoon. Zimbabwean law says a joint sitting can take place anywhere. Thousands of people demonstrated outside parliament urging Mugabe to quit. Mugabe led Zimbabwe’s liberation war and is hailed as one of Africa’s founding fathers and a staunch supporter of the drive to free neighbouring South Africa from apartheid in 1994. But many people in Africa and beyond also say he has damaged Zimbabwe’s economy, democracy, and judiciary by staying in power for too long and has used violence to crush perceived political opponents.

Zimbabwe's parliament starts impeachment process against Mugabe

Zimbabwe&#39;s ruling party will dismiss President Robert Mugabe on Sunday and reinstate Emmerson Mnangagwa, the vice-president he fired, two party sources told Reuters on Saturday, as ecstatic crowds celebrated the expected downfall.

Mugabe&#39;s 37-year rule has been effectively at an end since the army seized control on Wednesday, confining him to his residence, saying it wanted to target the &quot;criminals&quot; around him.

State television said Mugabe would meet military commanders on Sunday, quoting Catholic priest Fidelis Mukonori, who has been mediating in negotiations with the president.

But hundreds of thousands of people had no need for a formal signal that his time had ended as they flooded the streets of Harare, singing, dancing and hugging soldiers.

In scenes reminiscent of the downfall of Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu in 1989, men, women and children ran alongside the armoured cars and the troops who stepped in this week to oust the only ruler Zimbabwe has known since independence in 1980.

Others marched towards his lavish &#39;Blue Roof&#39; residence but were kept away by soldiers.

Under house arrest in his compound, the 93-year-old has watched support from his party, security services and people evaporate in less than three days.

The sources said a ZANU-PF party central committee meeting scheduled for 10:30 a.m. (0830 GMT) would also dismiss 93-year-old Mugabe&#39;s preferred successor, his wife Grace, from her role as head of the ZANU-PF Women&#39;s League.

Mugabe&#39;s nephew Patrick Zhuwao, speaking from an undisclosed location in South Africa, told Reuters the leader and his wife were &quot;ready to die for what is correct&quot; rather than step down in order to legitimise what he described as a coup.

Zhuwao also said that only Mugabe, who had hardly slept since the military took over but was otherwise in &quot;good&quot; health, could call a meeting of the central committee.

&quot;Tears of joy&quot;

It was not clear from reading the party&#39;s constitution who is empowered to call such a meeting - but events appeared to have made the issue irrelevant.

On Harare&#39;s streets, Zimbabweans spoke of a second liberation for the former British colony, alongside their dreams of political and economic change after two decades of deepening repression and hardship.

&quot;These are tears of joy,&quot; said Frank Mutsindikwa, 34, holding aloft the Zimbabwean flag. &quot;I&#39;ve been waiting all my life for this day. Free at last. We are free at last.&quot;

Mugabe&#39;s downfall is likely to send shockwaves across Africa, where a number of entrenched strongmen, from Uganda&#39;s Yoweri Museveni to Democratic Republic of Congo&#39;s Joseph Kabila, are facing mounting pressure to step aside.

The crowds in Harare have so far given a quasi-democratic veneer to the army&#39;s intervention, backing its claims that it is merely effecting a constitutional transfer of power, which would help it avoid the diplomatic backlash and opprobrium that normally follows a coup.

The military had been prompted to act by Mugabe&#39;s decision to sack Mnangagwa, Grace Mugabe&#39;s main rival to succeed her husband. The next presidential election is due next year.

Zimbabweans abroad were also hailing the end of Mugabe&#39;s rule, not least the hundreds living in Britain who gathered outside their embassy in central London.

&ldquo;I&rsquo;m ecstatic to see people give Mugabe a reality check because he has been in his echo chamber for too long, lying to himself that people still want him,&quot; said Ruva Kudambo, 37, who came to study technology and ended up staying.

Tasa, a 36-year-old who refused to give his family name, said he had brought his four young children, aged 5 to 9, to the protest &quot;because they are the future of Zimbabwe&quot;.

No&nbsp;Dis-Grace

For some Africans, Mugabe remains a nationalist hero, the continent&#39;s last independence leader and a symbol of its struggle to throw off the legacy of decades of colonial subjugation.

But too much more at home and abroad, he was reviled as a dictator happy to resort to violence to retain power and to run a once-promising economy into the ground.

Political sources and intelligence documents seen by Reuters said Mugabe&#39;s exit was likely to pave the way for an interim unity government led by Mnangagwa, a life-long Mugabe aide and former security chief known as &quot;The Crocodile&quot;.

Stabilising the free-falling economy will be the number one priority, the documents said.

The United States, a long-time critic of Mugabe, said it was looking forward to a &quot;new era&quot; in Zimbabwe, while President Ian Khama of neighbouring Botswana said Mugabe had no diplomatic support in the region and should resign at once.

The Herald, the state newspaper that has served as Mugabe&#39;s loyal mouthpiece, said ZANU-PF had called on Friday for him to go. It said ZANU-PF branches in all 10 provinces had also called for the resignation of Grace, the first lady whose ambitions to succeed her husband outraged the military and much of the country.

To many Zimbabweans, she is known as &quot;Gucci Grace&quot; on account of her reported dedication to shopping, or - in the wake of an alleged assault in September on a South African model - &quot;Dis-Grace&quot;.

Stubborn&nbsp;

The scenes in Harare reflect the anger and frustration that has built up among Zimbabwe&#39;s 16 million people in nearly two decades of economic mismanagement that started with the seizure of white-owned farms in 2000, the catalyst of a wider collapse.

The central bank tried to print its way out of trouble by unleashing a flood of cash but that only made matters worse, leading to hyperinflation that topped out at 500 billion percent in 2008.

At least 3 million Zimbabweans emigrated in search of a better life, most of them to neighbouring South Africa.

After stabilising briefly when Mugabe was forced to work with the opposition in a 2009-2013 unity government, the economy has collapsed again, this time due to a chronic shortage of dollars.

In October, monthly inflation leapt to more than 50 percent, according to some economists, putting basic goods beyond the means of many in a country with 90 percent unemployment.

Mugabe&#39;s only public appearance since the military took over was at a university graduation ceremony on Friday morning. Decked out in blue and yellow academic gowns, he appeared tired, at one point falling asleep in his chair.

A senior member of ZANU-PF said it was only a matter of time before he agreed to go.

&quot;If he becomes stubborn, we will arrange for him to be fired on Sunday,&quot; the source said. &quot;When that is done, it&#39;s impeachment on Tuesday.&quot;

Mugabe's 37-year rule has been effectively at an end since the army seized control on Wednesday, confining him to his residence, saying it wanted to target the "criminals" around him.

Zimbabwe's ruling party will dismiss President Robert Mugabe on Sunday and reinstate Emmerson Mnangagwa, the vice-president he fired, two party sources told Reuters on Saturday, as ecstatic crowds celebrated the expected downfall. Mugabe's 37-year rule has been effectively at an end since the army seized control on Wednesday, confining him to his residence, saying it wanted to target the "criminals" around him. State television said Mugabe would meet military commanders on Sunday, quoting Catholic priest Fidelis Mukonori, who has been mediating in negotiations with the president. But hundreds of thousands of people had no need for a formal signal that his time had ended as they flooded the streets of Harare, singing, dancing and hugging soldiers. In scenes reminiscent of the downfall of Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu in 1989, men, women and children ran alongside the armoured cars and the troops who stepped in this week to oust the only ruler Zimbabwe has known since independence in 1980. Others marched towards his lavish 'Blue Roof' residence but were kept away by soldiers. Under house arrest in his compound, the 93-year-old has watched support from his party, security services and people evaporate in less than three days. The sources said a ZANU-PF party central committee meeting scheduled for 10:30 a.m. (0830 GMT) would also dismiss 93-year-old Mugabe's preferred successor, his wife Grace, from her role as head of the ZANU-PF Women's League. Mugabe's nephew Patrick Zhuwao, speaking from an undisclosed location in South Africa, told Reuters the leader and his wife were "ready to die for what is correct" rather than step down in order to legitimise what he described as a coup. Zhuwao also said that only Mugabe, who had hardly slept since the military took over but was otherwise in "good" health, could call a meeting of the central committee. "Tears of joy" It was not clear from reading the party's constitution who is empowered to call such a meeting - but events appeared to have made the issue irrelevant. On Harare's streets, Zimbabweans spoke of a second liberation for the former British colony, alongside their dreams of political and economic change after two decades of deepening repression and hardship. "These are tears of joy," said Frank Mutsindikwa, 34, holding aloft the Zimbabwean flag. "I've been waiting all my life for this day. Free at last. We are free at last." Mugabe's downfall is likely to send shockwaves across Africa, where a number of entrenched strongmen, from Uganda's Yoweri Museveni to Democratic Republic of Congo's Joseph Kabila, are facing mounting pressure to step aside. The crowds in Harare have so far given a quasi-democratic veneer to the army's intervention, backing its claims that it is merely effecting a constitutional transfer of power, which would help it avoid the diplomatic backlash and opprobrium that normally follows a coup. The military had been prompted to act by Mugabe's decision to sack Mnangagwa, Grace Mugabe's main rival to succeed her husband. The next presidential election is due next year. Zimbabweans abroad were also hailing the end of Mugabe's rule, not least the hundreds living in Britain who gathered outside their embassy in central London. “I’m ecstatic to see people give Mugabe a reality check because he has been in his echo chamber for too long, lying to himself that people still want him," said Ruva Kudambo, 37, who came to study technology and ended up staying. Tasa, a 36-year-old who refused to give his family name, said he had brought his four young children, aged 5 to 9, to the protest "because they are the future of Zimbabwe". No Dis-Grace For some Africans, Mugabe remains a nationalist hero, the continent's last independence leader and a symbol of its struggle to throw off the legacy of decades of colonial subjugation. But too much more at home and abroad, he was reviled as a dictator happy to resort to violence to retain power and to run a once-promising economy into the ground. Political sources and intelligence documents seen by Reuters said Mugabe's exit was likely to pave the way for an interim unity government led by Mnangagwa, a life-long Mugabe aide and former security chief known as "The Crocodile". Stabilising the free-falling economy will be the number one priority, the documents said. The United States, a long-time critic of Mugabe, said it was looking forward to a "new era" in Zimbabwe, while President Ian Khama of neighbouring Botswana said Mugabe had no diplomatic support in the region and should resign at once. The Herald, the state newspaper that has served as Mugabe's loyal mouthpiece, said ZANU-PF had called on Friday for him to go. It said ZANU-PF branches in all 10 provinces had also called for the resignation of Grace, the first lady whose ambitions to succeed her husband outraged the military and much of the country. To many Zimbabweans, she is known as "Gucci Grace" on account of her reported dedication to shopping, or - in the wake of an alleged assault in September on a South African model - "Dis-Grace". Stubborn The scenes in Harare reflect the anger and frustration that has built up among Zimbabwe's 16 million people in nearly two decades of economic mismanagement that started with the seizure of white-owned farms in 2000, the catalyst of a wider collapse. The central bank tried to print its way out of trouble by unleashing a flood of cash but that only made matters worse, leading to hyperinflation that topped out at 500 billion percent in 2008. At least 3 million Zimbabweans emigrated in search of a better life, most of them to neighbouring South Africa. After stabilising briefly when Mugabe was forced to work with the opposition in a 2009-2013 unity government, the economy has collapsed again, this time due to a chronic shortage of dollars. In October, monthly inflation leapt to more than 50 percent, according to some economists, putting basic goods beyond the means of many in a country with 90 percent unemployment. Mugabe's only public appearance since the military took over was at a university graduation ceremony on Friday morning. Decked out in blue and yellow academic gowns, he appeared tired, at one point falling asleep in his chair. A senior member of ZANU-PF said it was only a matter of time before he agreed to go. "If he becomes stubborn, we will arrange for him to be fired on Sunday," the source said. "When that is done, it's impeachment on Tuesday."

Party set to sack Mugabe, Zimbabweans celebrate expected downfall