President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe just concluded an address to the nation. In a defiant speech, he acknowledged the concerns raised, but did not quit or resign.

Earlier in the day, his party the Zanu-PF had voted to remove him as its leader and demanded that he resign as President by tomorrow. Mugabe, flanked by security forces and religious leaders during the speech, addressed the gathering without agreeing to step down.

The speech closed without a resignation, leaving the party's demand and the President's refusal standing side by side.

The address was delivered in the context of a leadership contest within Zanu-PF, where the party had already moved to remove him as leader. By acknowledging the concerns expressed while declining to quit, Mugabe kept the question of the presidency open rather than settling it on the podium.

This piece was written by Joel Adesina for GistsVille, published on November 20, 2017, and filed under Gossips, News and Politics.