Mugabe, who has been at the helm of the nation since 1980, was forced to step down after the military took control and placed him under house arrest last week.
In Harare an ecstatic mood prevailed as soon as the news broke. Some motorists hoisted flags on their vehicles hooted while Jah Prayzah songs blazed from their radios.
Some roads were virtually impassable as motorists stopped their vehicles in the middle of the road and people danced on the streets as they shouted “Happy independence”. Some vendors went wild, dishing out their wares to passers-by, while others jumped onto pick-up trucks, buses and lorries in celebration.