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President Mugabe In Talks Over His Future

Zimbabwe’s long-time president Robert Mugabe is holding talks with South African negotiators over his future.

Envoys from the the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) are trying to reach a deal on the future of Zimbabwe and the man who has led the country for 37 years.

Mr Mugabe, 93, was put under house arrest on Wednesday after the army moved to take control.

Zimbabwe’s opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai says Mr Mugabe must resign.

Sources suggest Mr Mugabe may be resisting pressure to step down, insisting he remains the legitimate president.

A Roman Catholic priest known to Mr Mugabe for years, Father Fidelis Mukonori, is trying to mediate a deal on his future with the military.

South African Defence Minister Nosiviwe Maphisa-Nqakula and State Security Minister Bongani Bongo are meeting Mr Mugabe on behalf of Sadc, which South Africa currently leads. Sticking points are said to include what role Mr Mnangagwa will play and the security of Mr Mugabe’s family.

Zanu-PF’s UK representative, Nick Mangwana, has suggested that Mr Mugabe could remain nominally in power until the party congress in December, when Mr Mnangagwa would be formally installed as party and national leader.

Reuters news agency is quoting a source as saying Mr Mugabe’s wife Grace is in Mr Mugabe’s compound, along with senior figures from the “Generation-40” group supportive of the first lady – cabinet ministers Jonathan Moyo and Saviour Kasukuwere. Mrs Mugabe had previously been thought to have fled to Namibia.

South Africa is hosting millions of Zimbabweans who fled after the country’s economy crashed in 2008. It has a special interest in seeing stability restored.

The Sadc mission will be pushing for a democratic solution. The body, which represents 16 countries, does not support coup-led governments as this would set a dangerous precedent in the largely peaceful region.

A Sadc emergency meeting was scheduled to take place in neighbouring Botswana to try to help find a resolution.