Zambian president Edgar Lungu has sent former president Kenneth Kaunda to Harare in an attempt to convince Mr Mugabe to step down in a “dignified exit”.
It is hoped that Dr Kaunda, who is also 93-years-old and served as Zambia first president, will be able to convince Mugabe to end his presidency peacefully and quickly.
A senior government source said: “Dr Kaunda used the presidential jet and has already arrived in Harare.”
Dr Kaunda has openly condemned some of Mugabe’s past actions as president and has backed Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the opposition, to be a success should he win the presidency.
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Back in 2007, Dr Kaunda said: “There are some things which President Mugabe and his colleagues have done which I totally disagree with – for example, the police beating of Morgan Tsvangirai.
“It is not that I think Tsvangirai can make a good leader – I see him as the [former Zambian leader] Frederick Chiluba of Zimbabwe – but beating him or even sending him to prison will not be the right thing.”
With Mugabe defiantly refusing to step down, the ruling Zanu-PF party is set to discuss the impeachment of Mugabe after a noon deadline for him resign expired earlier today.
Impeachment could see Mugabe kicked out by a vote in parliament in under a day, which would mark a remarkable end to the presidency of the world’s oldest leader.
Following the army’s intervention last week in response to Mugabe’s sacking of vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa, it has become clear that Mugabe’s 37-year tenure as the Zimbabwean president will shortly come to an end amid widespread demands for his resignation.
It had been feared that Mugabe’s 52-year-old wife Grace would succeed her husband as leader but this is an unpopular prospect for millions of Zimbabweans.
Mr Mnangagwa is now expected to take over as leader in the coming days.
Mugabe had been expected to announce his resignation in a televised speech last night, but instead told viewers he would continue to preside over his party at a congress next month.
In a rambling 30-minute address, Mugabe insisted he was going nowhere in an announcement that stunned people across the world.
Meanwhile, the leader of Zimbabwe’s war veterans, Chris Mutsvangwa, said he would initiate court action to legalise the military action against Mugabe after the army seized power on Wednesday