Thousands of Zimbabweans took to the streets of Harare on Saturday to demand the resignation of President Robert Mugabe, in what could spell the political end for the 93-year-old leader who has ruled the country for nearly four decades.

Waving placards with slogans like “Go, Go, Our General” and “No to Mugabe Dynasty”, the atmosphere on the streets of the south African nation’s capital was electric, just days after the army put Mugabe under house arrest and detained some of his key political allies.

People waved Zimbabwean flags while others ran alongside army tanks and hugged soldiers to show their gratitude. CNN did not see any police at the protest, which was originally called by the country’s influential association of army veterans.

“The whole nation is celebrating today. We are finally getting rid of the old man,” said Tanashe, a Harare resident who declined to provide a second name.

Mugabe’s power appears to have finally been brought to check not by the opposition, but by the military and members of his own party, concerned about his apparent plans to have his wife Grace, 52, succeed him.

But Mugabe was still refusing to step down on Saturday, an official with direct knowledge of the ongoing negotiations between the President and the military told CNN.

Mugabe was meeting Saturday with army chief Gen. Constantino Chiwenga to discuss what happens next, the source told CNN. Chiwenga is pushing for Mugabe to step down and an interim president to take over, the source said.

In December, a conference of the ruling ZANU-PF party will take place. It’s assumed that former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa will then become leader of the party and President of the country until elections next year, the source said.

ZANU-PF called for Mugabe to resign on Friday, the main state newspaper The Herald reported. It said party branches in all 10 provinces were also calling for the resignation of Grace Mugabe as the women’s league leader.

•Text courtesy of CNN.

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