Mnangagwa to take over after 48 hours

A Zimbabwe ruling party official says that recently fired Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa will take over as the country's leader within 48 hours after President Robert Mugabe resigned.

Ruling party chief whip Lovemore Matuke says Mnangagwa, who fled the country after his firing, "is not far from here".

The official spoke to the AP immediately after the Parliament speaker announced Mugabe's immediate resignation during impeachment proceedings.Matuke says they look forward to Mugabe doing the handover of power "so that Mnangagwa moves with speed to work for the country".