Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe appears in public

By Jeffrey Moyo

HARARE, Zimbabwe

President Robert Mugabe Friday appeared in public in capital Harare for the first time since the military moved against him Tuesday.

Mugabe was spotted at a graduation ceremony at the Zimbabwe Open University.

Previously on Thursday, he had appeared in a picture with the generals who were said to be behind the military intervention.

According to some analysts, the army wants to gives an impression that everything was “normal” in the country.

Mugabe and his family were said to be detained at home after army took charge of the country.

Earlier on Friday, the Zimbabwe Defense Forces said progress had been made in the ongoing negotiations with the president, which was reportedly urging him to face the reality that it was over for him and he must step down.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s surviving liberation war fighters called for Mugabe's immediate expulsion from the governing Zanu-PF party and government as its president.

Addressing a news conference after arriving from South Africa where Zimbabwe's expelled Vice President Emerson Mnangagwa is said to be holed up, chairperson of Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association blasted the country’s president.

"Mugabe was not even there when he was appointed the possible leader of Zanu-PF; he was chosen by the war veterans; all the nationalists who never received our baptism, our approval as war veterans, never made it during the struggle," Mutsvangwa said.

About Mugabe officiating at a recent graduation ceremony that took place at the Zimbabwe Open University in Harare, Mutsvangwa said: "He is defying the population, trying to give a semblance of normality when things are not normal; that’s why we are saying don’t lie to yourself; it’s a delusion; you know he has been deluding himself -- he is deluded."

Commenting on the alleged military coup that took place recently against Mugabe, Mutsvangwa said: "It is not a military coup; it is a judicious military intervention."

Meanwhile, a note was extended to Mutsvangwa from representatives of the Zanu-PF provincial committees recommending the expulsion of Mugabe from the Zanu-PF party.

"Zanu-PF provinces Harare, Masvingo, Midlands and Mash West have passed a resolution to have Mugabe expelled from the party," read the note, which also went viral on Twitter.

The war veterans leader said they would convene a national rally on Saturday where Zimbabweans and liberation war fighters from all walks of life would call for the immediate peaceful resignation of Mugabe as president of this country and the governing Zanu-PF party.

'Let Zimbabweans enjoy their independence'

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s former head of intelligence and leader of opposition party, the Zimbabwe African People's Union (Zapu) said Friday a military takeover was looming in Zimbabwe because of the level of frustration within the security forces.

"I talked to people in the forces who have patched uniforms and their food ratios had been cut by 10 percent. That situation was explosive," Dumiso Dabengwa told a media briefing in Johannesburg.

He congratulated the Zimbabwe Defense Force (ZDF) for taking the initiative to try and block President Mugabe’s wife, Grace from becoming Zimbabwe’s next president.

“As far as I’m concerned the ZDF should be applauded.This was not a coup. They sought to correct the wrongs," said the former Home Affairs minister who served under Mugabe from 1992-2000.

He said although Mugabe does not want to resign peaceful, on Saturday masses of protesters would remove him from the State House.

"99 percent of people in Zimbabwe feel Mugabe should go because he is not in charge, Grace is. Zimbabweans could not fold their hands and allow Grace to destroy what they fought for," he said.

Dabengwa appealed to both the South African African Development Community countries (SADC) and South Africa to leave Zimbabwean people to enjoy their newly found independence.

"The military were very professional in their approach and no one was injured, otherwise it would have been chaos," he added.

*Hassan Isilow contributed to this story from Johannesburg.