A TV address by President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe to the nation was promised on Sunday and was postponed several times. It was expected that, following negotiations with the military, Mugabe would announce the voluntary reinstatement of his powers. The appeal lasted 20 minutes, but, having said goodbye, the president did not say that he was retiring.

Moreover, in the course of his speech, he stated that he intended to chair the December congress of the ruling party ZANU-PF and that the events of the last week did not pose a threat to his authority.

Earlier on Sunday, the party displaced Robert Mugabe as leader. The new head of the party elected 75-year-old former vice-president of the country Emmerson Mnangagva (call sign - "Crocodile", - Ed.. ), whom Mugabe dismissed two weeks ago.

The party also decided that if the president does not resign voluntarily by noon on Monday, an impeachment process will begin against him.

Having finished the television address, to the very end of which many expected that the president would yield to pressure and announce the resignation, Mugabe said only: "Thank you. Good night".

The leader of the Zimbabwean opposition, Morgan Tsvangirai, has already stated that he is extremely surprised by the performance of Mugabe.

"I'm just dumbfounded. And not only me, the whole country feels the same way. He plays some games. He failed the whole country, "Tsvangirai said..

Last week, the military arrested Mugabe, his family and some cabinet ministers. The president was asked to voluntarily leave office.

This happened shortly after Mnangagwa's dismissal from the post of vice president, which confirmed fears that the 93-year-old Mugabe intended to transfer power to his wife Grace, who is 40 years younger than him.

On Sunday, Grace Mugabe, like a number of other high-ranking officials, was expelled from the ranks of the ruling party.

In a subsequent appeal to the nation, President Mugabe admitted that criticism from the party, the army and the population was being directed at him, but he called on the country to "return to normal life." With regard to the actions of the military, Mugabe stated: "Whatever there were arguments "for" or "against" how they conducted this operation, I, as commander-in-chief, share their concern ".

"This [military] operation, which I mentioned, was not a threat to our precious constitutional order and did not in any way threaten my status as head of state or supreme commander-in-chief," Mugabe continued..

The head of the organization of veterans of the War of Independence of Zimbabwe, Chris Mutzwang, immediately after the speech Mugabe told Reuters that the impeachment procedure of the president will begin, as planned, on Monday.

Mutsvang also said that on Wednesday in Harare mass demonstration of protest against the rule of Mugabe, who has been leading the country for 37 years.

Source: BBC.