Zimbabweans urge Mugabe to step aside

Zimbabwe’s opposition party on Thursday called for a transitional body to take over the country after the military seized control on Tuesday, plunging Zimbabwe into a political crisis. The party in a statement suggested the transitional authority be “made up of competent Zimbabweans whose mandate will be to put in place measures to turn around the economy.” The military denied staging a coup after it seized control of the state broadcaster and stationed troops outside several government buildings. South African ministers on Thursday arrived in Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare, for talks with President Robert Mugabe and military leaders. Other Southern African regional leaders met in neighboring Botswana to discuss the crisis. Mugabe and his family remain under house arrest, the military said. In a joint statement, more than 100 civil groups in Zimbabwe called on 93-year-old Mugabe to step aside peacefully and asked the military to quickly restore order and respect the constitution.