In November 2018, Robert Mugabe dismissed his vice president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, after accusing him of "plotting a coup against the government." Some Zimbabweans feared Mugabe was grooming his wife, Grace Mugabe, to take over in the event of his death.

On November 13, 2017, General Constantino Chiwenga, commander of Zimbabwe's Defense Force, warned that the army could "step in" to save the country from political tension and economic crisis.

Military and armored vehicles were seen at the outskirts of Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, on November 14, 2017. On the same day, the military also took over the state-run broadcaster ZBC.

On November 15, 2017, Major General SB Moyo, the military spokesman, announced on the ZBC that Mugabe and his family were "safe and sound and their security was guaranteed." He said the military was targeting "criminals around" Mugabe who were "committing crimes that are causing social and economic suffering."

On November 16, 2017, General Constantino Chiwenga, along with other officials, was seen in military uniform meeting President Robert Mugabe (C) at the State House. It was reported that Mugabe was smiling as they both shook hands. However, the leaders of ZANU-PF announced that there was "no going back."

After being placed under house arrest, Mugabe appeared publicly at a university graduation ceremony on November 17, 2017. Here, a military officer adjusts a chair for Mugabe, who is dressed in a blue-and-yellow academic gown, to sit on after arriving to preside over the ceremony. Mugabe, who was reportedly tired, was then caught falling asleep.

On November 18, 2017, residents of the capital, Harare, held a protest with anti-Mugabe placards demanding the president's resignation. Veterans of the independence war, activists and ruling party leaders called publicly for Mugabe to be forced from office.

Zimbabwean War Veterans leader Chris Mutsvangwa (R) arrived at a meeting of the ruling ZANU-PF party in Harare November 19, 2017. After hours of deliberation, the party announced that it had decided to fire Mugabe as leader of the party.

Many expected that after being recalled as ZANU-PF party leader, President Mugabe would use his address to the nation resign with dignity. Zimbabweans were left shocked after the rambling speech made no reference to him stepping down. Mugabe now faces impeachment, with proceedings believed to be starting on Tuesday.

Rather than face impeachment proceedings, Robert Mugabe prompted dancing in the streets of Harare when he resigned on November 22. "My decision to resign is voluntary on my part and arises from my concern for the welfare of the people of Zimbabwe and my desire for a smooth, non-violent transfer of power," the 93-year-old said in a letter.

Supporters of Emmerson Mnangagwa celebrate the end of four decades under Mugabe. Mnangagwa was joined by cheering crowds after he returned to Zimbabwe from exile in neighboring South Africa. He is expected to be sworn in on November 24.

Mugabe's political life began in the 1960s with the formation of a radical anti-colonialist movement that fought white minority rule. He joined Joshua Nkomo's National Democratic Party and its fight against white government. He was jailed for 10 years, during which he studied tirelessly. On release, the "thinking man's guerrilla" rose to the top of the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army.

After a 15-year war and global sanctions, Mugabe forced Ian Smith's government to negotiate, winning universal suffrage, new elections and independence. He was elected prime minister, initially winning approval for policies of racial reconciliation and improving health and education for the black majority. But within two years, 20,000 people were killed fighting an insurgency from once-ally Nkomo.

In 1987, Mugabe gained broad executive powers as president, with a reconciled Nkomo as deputy. He became an international pariah over the 90s for devastating the economy, rigging elections and seizing white farmers' land. His land reform policy, an attempt to placate angry war veterans, wrecked the crucial agricultural sector and foreign investors fled. By 2002, he was sanctioned internationally.

In the 2000s, Mugabe became increasingly flagrant with his oppression of Zimbabweans. In 2005, he notoriously started a campaign of destroying slums and "illegal dwellings," directly affecting at least 700,000 people. A huge number of urban and rural poor, who were opposed to Mugabe's rule, were made homeless. The campaign was condemnded by the United Nations.

As his people starved and his country was driven to ruin, Mugabe lived an extravagant life. For his 91st birthday in 2015, Mugabe threw a lavish party, costing a reported $1 million (€900,000), complete with elephant slaughters, called "obscene" by opposition figures. By 2015, his country had completely switched to the US dollar after inflation rates hit 89.7 sextillion percent year-on-year.

On November 14, 2017, military elements seized control of a public broadcaster and announced Mugabe would be held under house arrest. In the days that followed, people swept the streets to demand the resignation of Mugabe, cheering on the military resistance. First Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa was backed as leader, and he replaced Mugabe a week later.

After his humiliating fall from power, Mugabe, who once claimed he would rule to the age of 100, quickly deteriorated. By September 2019, he was dying. After ruining his country's once-proud medical system, he was forced to seek treatment in Singapore.