Robert Mugabe appears to be doing like that Jeffrey Osborne song once again made famous by the New Edition biopic on BET—that is, “holding on”—despite the fact that members of his own party gave the 93-year-old president of Zimbabwe about a day to resign or be forced out.
Members of Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party, a party he co-founded when Zimbabwe became an independent nation, voted Sunday that Mugabe should resign by midday on Monday or they would move to impeach him.
CNN reports that ZANU-PF members of Parliament mirrored Zimbabweans in the streets this weekend—dancing and singing after the vote to impeach. Reuters reports that Mugabe’s wife, “Gucci Grace” Mugabe, who was maneuvering to run for president herself, was also expelled from the party.
And yet, despite the fact that on Wednesday, the military seized power from him, Mugabe—in power for more than 37 years—shows no signs of going easily.
Mugabe has said already that he will not step down, despite the coup, the vote of no confidence from his party and the fact that tens of thousands of Zimbabweans took to the streets on Saturday asking the former revolutionary fighter to do just that.
CNN reports that Mugabe is scheduled to meet with military officials again on Sunday to work out a peaceful and smooth transfer of power.
As reported earlier by The Root, the man most likely to succeed Mugabe is Emmerson Mnangagwa, the former vice president fired by Mugabe earlier this month.
CNN reports that Mnangagwa, Mugabe’s former right-hand man, had been behind moves to seize control from the president. He has reportedly been in South Africa since being forced out of office.
However, because of his former close relationship with a man now widely seen as a dictator, some are wary that Mnangagwa’s leadership would be more of the same mix of corruption and political oppression seen under Mugabe’s regime.
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson weighed in on the situation, saying that the military’s action to remove Mugabe could be an “opportunity” for the country.
The ball appears to be in Mugabe’s court. One can only pray that this bloodless coup remains so.