Zimbabwe has officially declared February 21 to be Robert
Gabriel Mugabe National Youth Day, thereby making the former president’s
birthday a public holiday.
The BBC reports the new President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, is
expected to form a cabinet this week. Mr. Mugabe resigned last week after a
military intervention and days of mass protests.
The police and army are to stage joint patrols as the
country returns to normal, the authorities have said. They have already
received reports of looting and illegal occupation of properties, particularly
farms and houses.
Police had not been seen in public until November 21 when
Mr. Mugabe resigned and they slowly started returning to work. The army had
effectively been in charge. Before the army operation, police officers had been
an ever-present sight in the centre of the capital, Harare, and roads around
the country, although they were not always welcome as many complained of police
harassment.
Calls for the former president’s birthday to be made a
national holiday were adopted by the government in August,
following intense lobbying by the Zanu-PF Youth League, the Herald
reports. Last week, President Mnangagwa said the former President needed to be
given the respect and recognition he deserved as one of the founders and
leaders of Zimbabwe.
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