'Robert Mugabe was warned that he could be lynched like Gaddafi if he refused to step down' - Ex-spokesman George Charamba

Zimbabwe's former President Robert Mugabe was reportedly warned that he could be lynched like long-serving Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi if he refused to step down, this is according to his ex-spokesman George Charamba who spoke with Daily News newspaper.

Recalling the last days of Mugabe's 37-year reign, Charamba said the 93-year-old tried to reconcile with his former deputy Emmerson Mnagangwa amidst the military take over which ousted him from office.

According to him, he wanted "to go on his own terms" and had to be warned of the dangers following the military's intervention and the outbreak of protests.  

"The commanders sent us with a very chilling message, they said ‘please go and get the president to appreciate the gravity of the situation out there. There was the possibility of a Libyan scenario where the president would have been dragged out of the Blue Roof [his residence] and lynched.  It was going to be possible because the soldiers said, 'we cannot turn our guns on civilians who are marching against the president and spill blood'.  I started visualising an image of Muammar Gaddafi. 

I literally went 'argh argh' he said.